My Precious People
by xWinorLose
Summary: Many years have passed since the end of the Fourth Shinobi War. Now twenty-six, Naruto has returned to Konoha to help someone precious to him. He finds some unexpected changes, among them the son of Hinata whom no one knows who the father is, and a new danger looms on the horizon. Rated M for language and lemons.
1. AN

_**Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto. This is NOT MY FANFICTION. This Fanfiction "My Precious People" is a REUPLOAD of the author Serious Sam, who for some unknown reason decided to delete all of his/her FanFictions. While I did not ask for his/her permission to reupload this story, the least I can do is to not delete his/her author notes that are within the story. This is a well written Fanfiction to read please, and please do not report this as CopyRight because many people loved reading this FanFiction story before it was taken down.**_

_**Thank You All! **_


	2. Ch 1: Coming Home

**Summary:** Many years have passed since the end of the Fourth Shinobi War. Now twenty-six, Naruto has returned to Konoha to help someone precious to him. He finds some unexpected changes, among them the son of Hinata whom no one knows who the father is, and a new danger looms on the horizon. Rated M for language and lemons. Adopted and rewritten with permission from Nube De Cristal.

1\. Coming Home

Well, first things first. This story and idea were originally written by Nube De Cristal, and she gets full credit for the first few chapters of this wonderful story, as well as being my beta going forward. I am honored that she is allowing me to adopt this story and continue writing it. I hope I can do it justice.

That being said, for all of you coming from her original story (Wishing, Waiting and Hoping) please note that I will be re-writing the chapters that she has already done, with her permission and approval. Her original content will still be there, but I'm adding some additional content for plot development and future lemony goodness (Giggity!) as well as the intent into making this story more than it was originally intended. So there's something new here for everyone and I would ask that readers bear with me during this time.

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**_Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto. This is a REUPLOAD of Serious Sam's Fanfiction. Please do not report this Fanfiction for CopyRight as this is a well written Fanfiction many people will love to read again._**

* * *

Chapter 1 – Coming Home

The hour was late. Kakashi Hatake, Rokudaime Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village was tired. However, the subject of the meeting he was in required that it be shrouded in secrecy.

And that subject was one Naruto Uzumaki.

Before him sat three people. The first was Tsunade Senju – retired Godaime Hokage and currently head of the Konoha medical division. The other two were Hiashi and Neji Hyūga, the current head and heir of the Hyūga clan.

"I have asked all of you here because I have an issue that I need help resolving," Hiashi said. "Recently, I have been approached by a suitor for my youngest daughter, Hanabi. The clan elders have made their intentions known that I must do everything necessary to ensure that the union takes place. As such, it leaves me in a very precarious situation in regards to my oldest daughter, Hinata."

Kakashi looked at Tsunade. "We could avoid all this if you would just tell us what you know of the mission. After all, you're the one who sent them on it in the first place and you were the only one who received the mission report on their return."

"No. There's a reason that report was sealed. It's not my place to reveal that. You have to ask Sakura or Hinata."

Kakashi's lone visible eye hardened. "I could order you as Hokage to answer."

"And as a former Hokage I would refuse."

"I could order Sakura and Hinata to answer as Hokage."

Tsunade snorted. "And take two of the best kunoichi in the village and have them jailed in ANBU cells for an undetermined period of time? Not to mention the fact that you would leave Hinata's son bereft of his only parent."

"_Be that as it may_," Hiashi said "The argument is pointless and distracts from the reason we asked for this meeting. We have made a decision regarding Hinata and need the help of you both to see it through."

Tsunade looked up and said, "We?"

Now it was Neji's turn to speak. "Yes. My uncle and I came to this decision together."

"Hinata has had no suitors for her hand since her return. Her status in the village has suffered as a single parent and the name of the father is all but unknown except to a select few."

He looked hard at Tsunade at the end of his statement. She just glared back at him, not revealing anything to his Hyūga eyes.

"However, everyone in this room knows of my cousins' deep and unrequited love for Naruto. It was _my_ suggestion to uncle that if he could be found, Naruto would be an ideal husband for her. He is a man of unquestionable honor and integrity, and he understands what it means to grow up without a father. He would care for both Hinata and her son as if he were his own."

Hiashi added, "We would also provide him with a sizeable dowry…"

"The little gaki isn't going to give a shit about that. And you're all forgetting something," Tsunade said. "Naruto left this village eight years ago a broken man. Even if we knew where he was, I'm pretty sure he isn't going to come back. He hasn't got an reason to do so."

The room was silent for a few moments before Kakashi spoke.

"I know where he is. I know how to contact him. And I'm pretty sure I know how to get him back home."

"How?" the three others said in unison.

"We tell him that one of his precious people needs help that only he can provide. That should get him home; Naruto has never refused to come to the aid of those who are precious to him."

Turning to Hiashi, he said "As for the rest…we just need to 'nudge' him to make the right choice."

"Nudge?"

"Yes, Hiashi – nudge. Naruto needs to come to the proper decision on his own. However, that doesn't mean that we can't give him the incentive to come to that conclusion."

"And just how do we do that?"

Kakashi eye smiled and said, "Simple – you goad him into it. Assuming we get him home and he agrees to the meeting, you belittle Hinata every chance you get. I'm pretty sure after about 5 minutes he'll get so pissed at you that he'll agree to the marriage just to shut you up."

Tsunade spoke. "You're playing a dangerous game here, Kakashi. If he finds out what we're planning here, it could…"

"That's why I'm making this an S rank secret. No one outside of the four of us will speak of this meeting ever again." Kakashi rose from his seat, turned and stared out the window.

After a few moments, he softly said "Besides, if there is one thing I'm sure of it's this..."

Turning around again, everyone could see the sadness in his gaze. "The best cure for a broken heart is a love without questions, boundaries or conditions. And this is precisely the kind of love that Hinata holds for Naruto."

* * *

The first rays of dawn began to peek over the horizon, preparing every living thing for another day. The sun seemed to awaken nature itself, as it moved in harmony with all that relied on its warmth.

Naruto sat upon a rock, meditating as he did every morning in an attempt to find inner peace and tranquility. Some days this task was harder than others.

Lately though, the peace that he had sought for so long seemed elusive. Even if he entered Sage Mode, it did little to help quell his inner turmoil and find balance. And this morning, his "inner demon" didn't seem to want to help him out any towards that goal.

**_Kit, Kurama said, we both know that you dwell on the past. Peace does not come because of the pain that was forced upon you by the one you trusted and supposedly loved._**

In recent years, he and the Kyuubi had come to a mutual understanding. They both acknowledged that they would be with each other until death took them from this world. While Naruto had actively sought this in recent years, his strength had grown so considerably that the escape that death would bring was not so easy to accomplish.

_Thanks. Naruto responded. Glad you could bring that up. Again._

**_No problem. However, I believe your morning meditation session may be over. I sense someone coming towards our position. Not very strong and certainly not much of a threat, but it's obvious that he's looking for you._**

Opening his eyes, he tensed and waited for the individual to arrive at his location. A lone man walked into the clearing wearing simple shinobi gear with a katana strapped to his back. There was no attempt at stealth; he certainly knew who Naruto was and that he was aware of his presence.

The man walked up to him and dropped on both knees to the ground and bowed low. "Lord Uzumaki, I am a messenger from Konoha. I bear an urgent message from our Hokage, Kakashi Hatake for you."

So Kakashi was Hokage now…interesting. And somehow he knew where he was.

"You've wasted your time. I have no desire to return to Konoha. Please leave."

The man rose from his bow, remaining on his knees. Holding a scroll out in front of him, he said "Hokage-sama thought you would say that. He told me to say before I left that one of your precious people requires help that only YOU can provide. The rest of the message is contained in this scroll for your eyes only."

Naruto looked upon the messenger, wondering if he should even look at it. Curiosity got the better of him and he took the scroll and unfurled it. The message was vague as to the nature of the emergency, but one name jumped off the page at him…

_Hinata._

Emotions swirled up from deep within him as her image was brought forth from his memories. He remembered how kind and thoughtful she always was to him. He remembered her smile, and her flawless beauty. She was definitely one of his precious people.

He hesitated a few seconds before another voice answered his unspoken question.

**_We both know you've made up your mind, kit. She is too important to you to ignore the request, whatever that may be._**

Naruto looked at the messenger and rolled up the scroll and handed it back.

"I'll return with you. We leave immediately."

* * *

Naruto burst out in laughter, "That's a good joke, Kakashi-sensei."

The laughter died on his lips after realizing that his old teacher wasn't laughing and was looking at him rather seriously.

"You've gotta be joking..."

That cold eye continued looking at him, unperturbed.

"Please sensei, you're gotta be kidding me... right?"

"No, I'm not. Hiashi Hyūga expects to see you today in the afternoon. You will go and see him." And with this the Hokage returned to some papers in his hands.

A range of emotions crossed the face of the young jōnin, anger and confusion surpassing all of them. He couldn't hold back as he struck the desk with his fist, regaining the attention of his former sensei.

Kakashi raised his eye. Naruto ignored the cold look.

"I won't do it. It's unfair of you to force me...Haven't I given enough to this village? The right thing would be to allow me to choose for myself. I'm an adult, and I can..."

Kakashi interrupted him, "What? Twenty-six years old?" He arched his eyebrow. "Even I doubt it sometimes."

Naruto remained silent recognizing the tone of voice. It was uncompromising and icy, the kind that doesn't allow an argument or refusal. He saw his former sensei heave a sigh and continue with his usually laid back attitude.

"You've been away from the village for almost eight years. Even though I've known where you were for about two years or so, no one has any idea as to what you've been doing. You can't expect to find everything the way you left it. Change is the only constant, and people tend to forget what they conveniently want. Few people in the village remember what you did for them. They only remember the fear of what you represent, and I believe they need to be reminded of what you've sacrificed once again."

Naruto took a hand to the back of his neck, accepting what Kakashi told him.

"But despite everything that's happened, there's one thing that hasn't changed - and that's your dream to someday be Hokage."

His gaze hardened. "It's not a dream, Kakashi-sensei. I **_will_** be Hokage. Believe it."

"Then you have nothing to lose. I think this is an excellent proposition where both you and Hinata will benefit. At the very least you should speak with Hiashi and listen to his offer."

It took several minutes of silence while Naruto reflected on Kakashi's words. At the moment, he couldn't come up with a logical argument as to why he should refuse.

"Alright, I'll listen to Hiashi. But I won't promise anything."

"That's fair enough." the Hokage conceded.

* * *

At the time agreed for the appointment, Naruto felt a bit nervous. But all that changed after listening to Hiashi as he sat in the office of the clan head. Anger was boiling inside him as he listened to the man demean his eldest daughter.

"Like I said, it's no secret that Hinata's reputation is not impeccable and she doesn't have that many good qualities."

Naruto gripped the chair arms with his hands, trying to hold down the impulse of jumping up and throttling the man. The stupid man wanted qualities? There were so many; she was brave, determined, compassionate...

"Besides, her beauty is average at best."

Was he blind? She was one of the most beautiful women he'd ever seen.

"And on top of it all she has the problem of that bastard son. Hinata has never revealed who the father is. I understand that it isn't appealing for anyone to take care of another man's child and be responsible for his care and upbringing. We don't even know to what lineage he belongs..."

Naruto couldn't take it anymore. If he didn't stop the asshole he would choke him to death. "Alright, I accept."

Hiashi looked at him, annoyed at being interrupted. "I don't think I've finished yet."

"And I don't need to hear anything else. I'll marry her and you can rest assured that you no longer need to take care of her and her…_despicable bastard_."

He quickly stood up, ignoring how Hiashi's face was turning red with anger.

"Just tell me one thing. Do you dislike your daughter so much that you would throw her at the first man who asks for her hand? Don't you think you should ask her what _she_ wants?"

"This decision wasn't made on a whim." Hiashi straightened in his chair. "We've thought of every possibility for this situation..."

One word stuck with him in that sentence, and he raised a hand to interrupt. "We? Who exactly are 'we', Hiashi?"

"My nephew and I."

Neji? Was that possible? Naruto thought that he'd changed his attitude towards his cousin, put perhaps not. After hearing the comments by Kakashi earlier, he realized that maybe things in the village had reverted to how they were many years ago.

"If you marry my daughter, you will not only receive a large dowry as compensation..."

Naruto looked at him with interest, seeing the disgust on his face and sensing that the next thing that would be said was a bitter pill to swallow for the proud Hyūga.

"…but you will also become a member of our renowned clan."

This last comment made Naruto consider asking another question, suddenly suspecting an ulterior motive behind this proposal.

"Tell me something, Hiashi. Why exactly are you so eager to get rid of Hinata?"

Hiashi gave the man a blank stare. "Our clan has received an offer for Hanabi's hand in marriage. It would be a shame to lose this opportunity because of Hinata."

A smile appeared on the face of the jōnin, as he leaned close to Hiashi and said in a chilling voice, "Therefore you prefer that her situation didn't interfere with your...**_plans_**, is that right?

Hearing the tone of his voice, Hiashi suddenly felt threatened. He'd heard rumors that the young man in sitting in front of him had become far more powerful during his time away from the village and if he wanted to, he could get rid of him in the blink of an eye.

"In any case, she has to marry sooner or later. Having experienced it firsthand, you would know better than anybody that a child should have a father figure in his life."

Naruto regretted having asked, realizing that of course Hiashi would bring something like that up. The man infuriated him every time he opened his mouth. He turned on his heels to leave the place.

Hiashi called out as he left and said, "Well, at least we have an agreement..."

The blonde didn't bother to answer him. He wanted to be as far from him as possible, afraid that he might do something he clearly wouldn't regret. Opening the door and rushing through it, he ran into someone. Both of them fell to the ground, landing on their backside. Quickly getting back up, his first instinct was to extend his hand, offering to help up the person he had inadvertently run into.

Lavender eyes stared back at him, the shock clearly visible on her face. "Na...? Naruto-kun?"

He withdrew his hand as if burned by her touch. "Hinata." It was all he could say before leaving, embarrassed and afraid at finally coming face to face with her.

She noticed the emotions running over his face, the first - and most prominent - emotion being anger. It was then that she saw her father walking out of his office, the corners of his mouth upturned in a slight smile.

Hinata looked at him, mistrusting his motives for having Naruto there in the first place. "What have you done, father?"

Despite the smile on his face, his tone was somber as he replied, "What I should have done a long time ago."

That cryptic comment lingered in the air between them. Fear froze her heart, as she turned and ran down the hallway to her room.

Once there, she closed the door and leaned against it, trying to reign in her rapidly beating heart. What did her father say to Naruto-kun for him to run out of the place, looking angry and afraid? She placed both hands on her cheeks, feeling them flushed and hot beneath her touch. She'd heard rumors of him returning to the village, but hadn't had the opportunity to see him until a few minutes ago. And once again, her world was turned upside down.

What was this strange power he had over her? Even after all this time, just seeing him made her light headed, barely able to stand on her trembling legs. The emotion that he awoke within her was almost overpowering.

She took a deep breath and let it out, annoyed with herself. She'd thought that she would have left behind all that nonsense when she became a mother. A soft knock on her door brought her out of her musings, and she bade whoever it was to enter.

"Nii-san?" She was concerned to see the serious look on his face. "Is something wrong? Has anything happened to Hikaru?"

"No, cousin. He's just fine, I left him with one of the maids for the moment. He's eating a snack."

Hinata saw him falter, unsure of his next words with her. She had never seen him like that.

"Please walk with me for a moment, Hinata."

She nodded at his strange request and followed him as he walked to the courtyard.

* * *

Hinata looked at her cousin with an expression full of disbelief and shock.

"I'm to marry..." she repeated, baffled and then added with a barely audible voice, "Naruto-kun?"

He nodded. "Yes. You need a husband, and your child needs a father."

Her look hardened before forcefully replying, "I believe you're mistaken. I've done just fine on my own."

Neji could not hold back the small smile that appeared on his lips. Motherhood has done wonders for Hinata. It provided her with a peculiar strength, making her somewhat willful at times.

"How could father and you do this to me? How dare you both to decide my life like this?"

"What did you expect, cousin? Uncle would not stand idly when a suitor for Hanabi came into the picture. You know that he will do everything necessary to assure the union that has been presented."

She looked away from Neji's face. An agonizing pain, one that she knew since childhood, emerged from the depths of her being, choking her.

It was the forcefulness in Neji's voice that drew her back. "All this can be avoided if you tell us the name of the father..."

Her eyes looked at him and hardened over again. "Never."

"I'm still puzzled as to why you keep protecting him."

"Forget it, Nii-san. Let bygones be bygones."

Neji raised his eyebrows. "Though, there's something I've always wondered about…why Hikaru hasn't inherited the byakugan."

Hinata pressed her lips together and looked away from him.

"His father must have very dominant genes."

Her face turned pale. She had asked Neji to practice with Hikaru from an early age, knowing fully what questions might arise because of it.

"But that doesn't mean that the boy doesn't have talent." Neji continued, ignoring Hinata's sullen silence. "Quite the contrary, he does and when he fully develops he will be a formidable opponent."

She smiled as Neji described her son, her chest swelling with pride.

"However, I wish he could take everything with a degree of seriousness, and be more mindful and alert when I try to explain things to him." And this time he looked carefully at Hinata, trying to see if a sudden expression gave something away. "Not to mention that he is so restless as well as excitable..."

Guessing what he was trying to bring up, she quickly added, "Well, you can't blame him if he is very energetic and full of life."

He sighed, never suspecting that his cousin could be so stubborn. Something told him she was not being entirely honest with him. He did not understand the reason for her strange behavior, keeping the whole business secret. But the more he thought about it the more his blood began to boil over with anger.

"If anyone dared to take advantage of you, I swear I'll..."

She looked at him with conviction and didn't let him finish. "Neji! No one has abused me."

Venting some of his frustration and trying to get a rise from her, he bitterly asked, "Is he married?"

Hinata gritted her teeth. How many times have she endured this interrogation?

"He's surely a womanizer, right?" Neji growled.

"It's useless to discuss it. I won't say anything."

"It was in the village where Tsunade-sama sent you with Sakura, right? To this strange mission that none of the three of you want to talk about. Almost a year away from Konoha...I swear that if I ever find out who he is, I will make him suffer an agonizing death before ending his useless life."

"Neji!" She yelled, before taking a deep breath to calm herself. She placed her hand on her cousin's arm. "Really, I'm thankful for your concern and..." She had to smile before she continued, "...your desire to defend my honor. You better than anyone else know that we need to leave the past behind. You have a nephew who loves you and worships the ground you walk on. Isn't that more important?"

He sighed, defeated. He decided to continue, ignoring the small deviation from the main conversation.

"As I was saying, it was evident that uncle would do something about your present situation. As such, I wouldn't have allowed you to leave with just anyone who accepted uncle's proposal. It was I who suggested that uncle choose Naruto as a possible candidate. I'm sure he'll know how to take care of Hikaru and you; he is the best choice of all that could have been taken into consideration."

"Why…Why Naruto-kun?" She asked in a small voice.

"Because despite what almost everybody in the village thinks, he is a man with a high level of honesty and integrity. And it's clear from your actions that you still care for him in some way."

"I don't want to be a burden to anyone."

"Ah, don't worry, Hinata. Believe me; he also wins in the whole situation. In addition to your generous dowry, he also has the prestige of being part of the Hyūga clan."

"You talk as if he's..."

"Accepted? According to uncle, yes…he has."

She was sure that her face has taken the highest shade of scarlet. A swirl of emotions lashed at her insides; shame and humiliation at the devious way that they decided at her back; anger that they didn't take into account her wishes. Above all this, however, there was a degree of euphoria.

_Naruto-kun becoming her husband?_

How many times as a child had she dreamed about that impossible event?

But after acquiring a degree of maturity in recent years, and then being a mother she thought she had left behind all those childhood fantasies. And yet, despite her belief that he would never return she had kept a piece of her heart as an exclusive property of the blond.

Then, as if someone slapped her in the face, she recalled how he had left. Now she understood the cause of his hasty departure.

"Oh, no! Nii-san, I have to talk to him!"

"Do you think you can do it without fainting?" He taunted.

Hinata looked at him somewhat annoyed, "Of course I can. It's been a long time since I lost my nerve in his presence. I'll find him and apologize to him for the inconvenience. He needs to understand that this isn't his responsibility."

Neji watched his cousin as she walked decisively towards the village, a tiny smile curving his lips. He let her go, not worried at all. Knowing Naruto as a champion of the weak and embracing any cause to help others, Hinata would be skillfully swerved from her objective.

He had a pretty good idea of how the meeting had transpired between his uncle and Naruto; betting that the latter had been on the verge of losing his temper with his uncle's arrogant attitude and constant humiliation of Hinata. As they had thought, Naruto could never swallow any type of abuse towards his precious people and had decided to accept the offer simply to help her out, achieving the goal that they themselves had set out from the beginning.

And although he knew that his cousin didn't need anyone and could take care of her or her son, Neji wanted Hinata to finally have someone who supported and listened to her. She had suffered far too much, and with the possible exception of her son, he knew she loved Naruto more than anything.

And who knows? Perhaps they had manipulated the situation in a way that things would take the right course, eventually.

* * *

Naruto was standing on a rooftop, overlooking the village and thinking of possibilities. He closed his eyes, raising his face to the sky to feel the sun's rays stroking his skin as a soft breeze ruffled his blond hair.

Shortly after returning to the village he had overheard by chance two women talking about Hinata and the shame - or the lack of it, according to the women - of coming back with a child after going away with Sakura on the mission that Tsunade, who was then Hokage had ordered them to take.

Now that he had accepted Hiashi's offer, he was curious to know who the father of Hinata's son was.

So without wasting any time, he had gone looking for Sakura at the apartment she shared with Sasuke. Seeing her again after all these years had shaken him up both emotionally and physically, reopening old wounds and bringing back memories that he thought were forgotten. As she welcomed him into their home, he observed that she looked happy, her presence practically glowing. He couldn't help but realize that she really was beautiful.

Sakura quickly informed him that Sasuke wasn't home if he was looking for him. But as soon as he explained that he was here to see her and ask about Hinata and her son, her whole appearance changed abruptly, becoming unapproachable and unyielding…

**_***Flashback***_**

"No."

He looked at her, shocked. Why the sudden change in demeanor?

"What do you mean, no?"

"Just what I said. No. I won't tell you anything about Hikaru."

"Why? You both went on that mission; you have to know someth…"

"Naruto!" Sakura said forcefully. "I already said I'm not answering your questions. Now stop asking."

The expression on Naruto's face became hard and cold. He stared at her and said, "This isn't how I expected our first conversation in years to play out, Sakura. I'm disappointed that it hasn't gone better."

"Then get used to disappointment. You won't find your answer here. So either ask about something else, or…leave."

**_***End Flashback***_**

…And Naruto left the apartment with more questions than when he arrived. What the hell was the damn mystery surrounding Hinata and her son? He was sure that she knew something. She went on that mission with Hinata, so she had to know the whole affair. What was she hiding? And why?

There was only one other person he could ask about this. He hadn't been by to see her yet, but he was pretty sure that the conversation would mirror the one he just had with Sakura. Not that it would change his mind about asking, of course.

He was going to talk with Tsunade.

Raising his head and opening his eyes, he took off in the direction of the hospital.

* * *

Tsunade had just finished with another exhausting day at the hospital. An open bottle of very good sake was on her desk, and she had been drinking for the last half hour. It was her way of relaxing at the end of a very hard day. Or any other day for that matter.

Just as she was about to pour herself another cup, she heard a knock on her door and told whoever it was to come in.

The door opened and Naruto walked in. She stared at him for a few seconds as tears filled her eyes, grateful to see him after all these years.

Naruto smiled at her and said, "Hey, Baa-chan. It's good to see you again."

And in the blink of an eye she was there and hugging him, crying into his shoulder.

"Gaki. I was so worried about you. I missed you so much."

Naruto knew how much he meant to her. Her life had been filled with the deaths of those she loved…first Nawaki, her little brother.

Then Dan, the love of her young life.

And then Jiraiya, one of the Sannin and her former teammate. The love of her later life. The man whom Naruto affectionately called Pervy-Sage, and was the closest thing to a father figure he ever had.

He was all she had left. And he felt a new wave of guilt for being away for so long.

After a minute, Tsunade lifted her head and let go of him. Looking him over and wiping her eyes, she smiled and said, "Well, you've certainly gotten taller. And you're not as high-spirited as you once were. I'm guessing a lot of things have happened over the last eight years…"

He laughed and said, "You don't know the half of it. Got time to talk and catch up on things? I could really use a drink right now."

She laughed, glad to have the company. "Gaki, that is **ONE** thing that I can provide."

* * *

The two of them sat and talked for about two hours. Tsunade filled him in on most of what had been going on in the village; she had decided a few years ago to step down and work full time at the hospital, as well as starting an academy for medical ninjutsu for the shinobi corps. With Naruto gone, Kakashi was the most logical choice to take the job, but they both knew he was just holding the position for Naruto…if he ever returned.

Naruto talked about some of the things that had happened to him over the last eight years. He didn't need to go over it all; as Hokage he was sure Tsunade knew some of it. At least the parts that mattered.

Then he asked about all of his friends and how they were doing. She told him Neji and Tenten had gotten married. Ino, Kiba, Choji and Shino were still single. Shikamaru and Temari were still dating; apparently he thinks it's too troublesome to propose. Gaara was still Kazekage, and currently dating one of his students.

Tsunade stopped the conversation there, and sat in silence drinking her sake. Naruto bristled a bit after several seconds and asked, "Well? What else?"

"What else is there? I'm sure you already know about Sakura and Hinata."

"No, I don't."

She smiled at him. "Ah. Now we come to the **REAL** reason why you're here."

Yeah, he knew he had the worst poker face ever. "Okay…I did come here to talk about that, but I also wanted to see you as well. You are one of my precious people, after all."

"Thank you, Naruto. You're special to me as well."

Then there was that uncomfortable silence again. He knew she was doing it on purpose and it was beginning to make his blood pressure rise.

"And? What else?

And once again that smile. "Sorry. There IS nothing else."

"Baa-chan, you know there is. I'm sure that even though you're retired from being Hokage, there isn't much that slips by you. You knew why I was brought back here."

She smirked at him. "Maybe. And maybe not."

He let that slide. "Fine. You should know that I've accepted Hiashi's proposal and agreed to marry Hinata."

Tsunade's face lit up upon hearing this and her smile was perhaps the biggest he'd ever seen on her. "Congratulations. I know the both of you will be very happy. She's a wonderful woman."

"Thank you. But now that I've accepted his proposal and agreed to the marriage, I think I have a right to know who the father of her son is."

Tsunade lost her smile and her face became impassive. "Why don't you ask Sakura?"

He raised his voice a bit and said, "I already tried that. She shut me down and told me no – rather emphatically. Then she told me that if I continued to ask questions about Hinata and her son, then I should just leave."

"Which I'm guessing is what happened. And here you are, talking with the last person who could possibly provide you with the information that you want. Sorry Naruto, but you won't find the answers you're looking for here. I'm not THAT drunk."

"Why, Baa-chan? Why can't you tell me?"

Once again, that uncomfortable silence. But when Tsunade spoke again, her voice was soft and caring.

"Naruto."

He looked at her eyes and saw sympathy. But he also saw no chance of her buckling under the pressure.

"There's a reason why I can't tell you. But regardless of what it is, the only person who can – and frankly should tell you – is Hinata. Have you talked with her yet?"

He closed his eyes leaned back in his seat, somewhat afraid of the answer. "No."

Tsunade poured herself the last bit of sake and quickly downed it, placing the empty glass on the desk. "Then don't you think it's about time that you do?"

* * *

He ran across the rooftops towards the Hyūga estate, lost in thought once again and reflecting on what Tsunade had said. He agreed with her that he should ask Hinata, but he was also pretty sure that the conversation would end the same way – with him angry and his questions unanswered. There had to be another way he could possibly find out what he wanted to know.

The only thought left to him was that he hadn't had an opportunity to see the boy. Perhaps his looks or some physical feature could provide him with some clue.

He didn't see the movement that pulled him out of his introspection, rather he felt it. He directed his gaze toward the small distraction. It was a small red-haired kid, who Naruto thought looked to be about six or seven years old.

The boy was hiding behind some wooden crates, his eyes peeking about above them. With a graceful somersault, Naruto fell to the ground and silently approached him.

The redhead was watching a small laundry business. Naruto recognized the place and who the owner was; she was one of the women that he had heard talking about Hinata and her immorality.

The blond tilted his head, recalling his childhood and the pranks he used to play. He was so engrossed in watching the child that when the scream of anger came from the building, it took him by surprise. Naruto lifted his face to stare as the outraged owner ran outside, looking for the culprit who was responsible.

Amid all the noise and fuss, an interested Naruto leaned over and asked, "What did you do?"

The boy jumped, certain that he'd been caught and would be punished.

"I didn't do anything," he replied defensively, while the blush on his cheeks betrayed him.

Naruto crossed his arms in front of his chest and looked at the boy with skepticism. "Right. And I don't like ramen, either."

Shocked, the redhead's eyes grew wide and he said, "You don't like ramen?"

Naruto rolled his eyes. Apparently, the kid still didn't understand the concept of sarcasm. "No, I was being sarcastic. That means I don't believe you."

Suddenly the boy stood up and retorted with enough insolence, "What if I did do something?"

The young ninja stared at the kid. The boy didn't seem to be trying to attract attention to himself like Naruto used to do when he was younger. He wasn't trying to be playful either. Instead, he seemed very angry - it wasn't at Naruto, but just what it was specifically was uncertain…

"You!"

Both of them turned their faces toward the owner of the laundromat. Instinctively, the boy hid behind Naruto.

"I'm sure it was you, brat."

It was probably wrong of him to cover for the boy, but an automatic response to protect the kid burst forth from deep inside him. Looking at the lady and feigning ignorance, Naruto asked "What are you talking about?"

"He poured ink into the water I use to rinse the white laundry."

Naruto flinched internally.

"Well, I'm afraid to say you're mistaken. He's been with me the entire morning."

He only hoped that he was doing the right thing. Naruto had always been uncomfortable lying to people – actually, he was pretty bad at it. While they had been together, Sakura had always known when he was hiding something because it was so blatantly obvious. At that moment he was feeling quite a bit disgusted with his lie, but he still wanted to speak with the boy first.

First things first, though. He needed to come up with a way for the kid to repair the damages he had inflicted. He pointed down the street and said, "However, I did see some suspicious kids running in that direction."

For a few seconds the blond thought the owner of the laundromat would refute him. After a few seconds, she turned away grumbling about how city trash always ended up joining forces. As she walked back into her business and closed the door, Naruto looked at the boy with disapproval.

"So, ink in the water. Hardly creative for a prank, and not very original. I don't want to think about how those sheets ended up. Tell me, what's the problem you have with her?"

The red headed kid scrunched his face, making a menacing scowl, "Her favorite pastime is to say really bad things about my mom."

"Your mother?"

"Yes. Hinata Hyūga."

* * *

A/N: Okay, to everyone who came from Nube de Cristal's story, welcome. As I mentioned at the start of this chapter, she allowed me to adopt this story and continue it far beyond what she originally told me she had in mind. I'd like this story to go as far as I can take it; hopefully that will be a good, long time. I hope you all come with me for the ride.

The first few chapters of this story will contain content from the old story - my objective for these are to add some new content to go along with the old content, as well as fix the dialogue and flow. Considering English is her second language, I think Nube de Cristal did a wonderful job.

I have great plans for the direction of this story, as well as a few ideas for plot development. However, understand that I agreed to adopt this story and continue it ONLY under the pretense that Nube de Cristal would be my beta going forward for ALL future chapters. Nothing will be published without her. I think she's a wonderful writer and I'm grateful for her continued support.

As I also mentioned at the beginning of this, The first few chapters will be somewhat repetitive if you are coming from the old story so PLEASE bear with me while I get through them as quick as possible and get to the new stuff. Every chapter will have SOMETHING new, I'm just not sure how much. I already have half of the new chapter 10 written out, but unfortunately I can't publish that until the rest is redone. I should have CHAPTER 2 up and running in about a week or so.

That's all for now. Take care and stay safe.

Serious Sam


	3. Ch 2: Opportunity Lost and Found

**_Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto. This is a REUPLOAD of Serious Sam's Fanfiction. Please do not report this Fanfiction for CopyRight as this is a well written Fanfiction many people will love to read again._**

**2\. Opportunity Lost and Found **

**_Tada! Chapter 2 in less than two weeks. This stuff practically writes itself!_**

In all seriousness, once again I need to thank Nube de Cristal for the story and the idea, as well as being my beta. I'm very grateful for her allowing me to adopt it and letting me continue writing such a great story.

With over 100 followers of the story – and this being my first fanfic – the pressure is immense to continue the tale. And I know how it is between story updates for the ones that I follow from other writers, but the one thing that makes the updates happen faster is…REVIEWS.

Yes people, reviews. If you write for FanFiction, you know what I'm talking about. If you don't and you just love to read, take heed to my statement: **_REVIEWS MAKE THINGS HAPPEN_**. Reviews make the writer feel good (or bad) about his (or her) work. And the number of reviews is just as important as getting them.

What's new in this chapter? Dialogue and flow fixed, the Sakura/Hinata conversation is longer and more confrontational and I threw a whole lot of romance in here, especially the end. What can I say? My wife loves the stuff, and the original chapter was steeped in it. Besides, I'm as much a sucker for romance as I am for a gruesome battle and death.

However, that being said to my reviewer **MALEVOLO,** yes – I do plan on making Naruto (and the story) a bit more Alpha-Male but as I promised to follow the original storyline I have to get through this part first. Sorry, but please bear with me – we will be through soon enough and get to some epic battle scenes.

**_Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto, yada yada yada, Naruto and Hinata get married and have 15 kids (+1 if you get the reference)._**

* * *

Chapter 2 – Opportunity Lost and Found

Hinata was starting to get worried. She had no idea where Naruto had gone, and she'd been asking everyone she could if they had seen him. Places that people had seen him varied all over the village and none of the leads had turned up positive. However, her concern quickly became apprehension when the last few people she'd asked not only indicated where he was going, but who was with him.

_"I saw him just a few minutes ago, walking with your son by the way."_

_"I think he went that way...he was with your son. They were talking about you."_

Hinata gave the man a worried look. "Please…do you know where they were headed?

The man blinked and said, "I'm pretty sure they were going to Ichiraku Ramen."

Ichiraku Ramen. She silently cursed herself. Why didn't she think of starting there in the first place? It was Naruto's favorite place to eat after all, and he probably hadn't seen Teuchi or Ayame since returning to the village.

With any luck he would still be there, finishing his 15th bowl of ramen.

_With her son._

She began walking quickly towards the cozy restaurant, attempting to calm her erratic heartbeat. She was concerned about losing him again; she needed to talk with him and convince him to forget about his promise.

But why was Naruto with Hikaru? She tried to ignore the pit that was forming in her stomach. There was no way he could know…and yet, someone also mentioned they had seen him leaving Sakura and Sasuke's apartment. No – she was _absolutely_ sure that Sakura didn't say anything. However, without realizing it she started to run, sprinting through the streets and ignoring the curious glances that everybody gave her.

She walked into the small establishment almost out of breath, looking for a redhead and a blonde. She spotted them at the end of the counter, Hikaru peppering Naruto with questions about many things.

"Hikaru!" she exclaimed and quickly walked towards them both. She looked at Hikaru, trying to figure out what they had been talking about, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary in that little face she loved so much.

"What are you doing outside the compound? Didn't your uncle leave you in the kitchen?"

"Mom!" He answered, his face taking on an expression of pure innocence. Standing on the stool, he hugged his mother and covered her face with kisses saying, "You're so pretty, mom!"

He stopped when he saw that his mother remained unfazed by his loving attack. She had her arms crossed in front of her chest and was staring down at him sternly. "Save it, mister. You're not getting out of trouble that easy. I'm going to make sure your uncle assigns you chores as punishment. You disobeyed him and rest assured that I will be supervising what your uncle decides to give you."

Naruto stared at Hikaru, fascinated at the scene unfolding before him. This was a lost part of his life, something he never had growing up. It was an experience that he would never be able to recover; and the ache of that loss was plainly visible in his eyes.

_The experience of having a mother. The feeling of knowing that no matter how hard things were, someone was always there to wrap their warm, loving arms around you and make you feel safe._

Hinata felt his intense blue gaze and turned her head to look at him. She was shaken by the degree of longing in his eyes and her heart was consumed with anguish.

She immediately recognized that look…the desire to have a mother; to know what is to be loved unconditionally by someone never asking for anything in return. The one person who can make your pain all go away, just by being who she is and nothing more.

"Hello, Naruto-kun."

His sapphire eyes immediately lit up and he turned to look at her, a smile appearing on his lips. And just as quick, every trace of sadness disappeared from his face.

"Hello, Hinata." His voice sent shivers down her spine. "It's been a long time without seeing each other."

She nodded, struggling to keep herself calm. She returned his smile and said, "Eight years."

Hinata studied the face that stared back at her intensely. This wasn't the boy she had a crush on back in the academy, nor the man she had loved as a teenager. All traces of his youth had vanished and now she saw a man staring back at her, one that has lived and seen too much. And somehow, she found him more handsome than ever – the distinct hardness of his features providing him with a unique beauty, both outside and inside.

"The years have been good to you, Hinata. You're more beautiful than ever."

She blushed, realizing that she'd also received the same inspection from him.

"Thank you." She mumbled. If Neji could only see her now! She'd throw it in his face that she hadn't fainted or gotten woozy even once in Naruto's presence. Then she remembered why she'd been looking for him in the first place.

"I'd like to talk to you, Naruto-kun."

He nodded and said, "All right. Let's go for a walk."

He left enough money on the counter to cover the bill for both Hikaru and himself, and waved goodbye to Teuchi. Gently grasping her elbow, he led her outside the restaurant to take her to a more secluded and quiet place. He thought the park would be nice.

As they walked in silence, Naruto pondered the situation. Hikaru was clutching his mother's hand, giving them both a curious look. He could feel the tension in the air and knew something was going to happen.

Now, Naruto knew that he wasn't the smartest person around, but he wasn't an idiot either. The harsh reality of the last eight years of his life had given him a sense of maturity and knowledge beyond his years and it was obvious what Hinata's intention was. However, no matter what it took he wasn't going to allow her to change his mind. He didn't want to let her go. So as soon as they reached the park, he resolved not let her talk and weasel her way out of the situation.

"Hikaru, go play on the swings for a while." Hinata told her son.

He narrowed his eyes, wanting to hear what he suspected was going to be a _very_ interesting conversation. However, he was in hot water already with his mom and knowing that a punishment was coming later that evening, he decided not to make it worse and turned to walk towards the swings.

As soon as Hikaru was out of earshot, Hinata turned and said "Naruto..."

He quickly interrupted her. "I'm glad you wanted to talk with me."

"You...You are?" Her heart felt like lead in her chest. Was her desire to relieve him of the responsibility he'd accepted so great? She would give him every reason and opportunity to regret having accepted the proposal in the first place.

"Yes. We need to set the date."

"The...The date?" She was trying to get him to realize that she and Hikaru were not his responsibility. But somehow, he was steering the conversation in the opposite direction and it was confusing her.

"Yes. I think the right date for the ceremony would be the first day of summer. It gives us enough time to plan and for me to look for a place for the three of us to live."

"But, Naruto-kun..."

He cut her off again. "Don't you think the date is perfect? And I've been thinking about buying one of those new houses located on the outskirts of Konoha. Unless of course, you don't think you'll like it."

"Oh, the resort community is very nice and convenient! But I..."

"Great!" Once again, he didn't let her finish. "It's the new place then."

"But they're very expensive and that wasn't what I wanted to talk to you about." Hinata was beginning to suspect that he'd guessed why she'd been looking for him.

"Don't worry about the money." He didn't allow her to speak once again. "Now, about the ceremony. Do you have anyone in particular that you'd want to marry us? Because I think I'd like Kakashi-sensei to do it."

"Naruto-kun." The irritation in her voice was apparent as she tried to get a word in edgewise.

"And what about the venue? I think it would be nice if we have it at the..."

"Naruto!"

Blue eyes stared at her astounded. Irritated, she had firmly raised her voice and stopped him in mid-sentence. It was the same voice she used with Hikaru when he didn't listen to her.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

He blinked. "Well, isn't it obvious?"

"Yes, it is. But what I don't understand is your reason behind everything you've said. I want you to know that you're not obligated to marry me."

He looked at her, stunned. For a few seconds he was at a loss for words, then a small smile played over his lips. "I know. I _want_ to do it."

She stared at him, confused. Desperate to give him a reason to forget the whole thing, she blurted out the most farfetched idea she could come up with. "If the reason why you're doing this is because you need money, then all you have to do is ask."

"**_I DON'T...NEED...MONEY_.** From you or any other member of your clan." He cut in coldly. "And your family can keep the dowry. I don't want it, or need it to marry you."

This conversation was starting to sound _exactly_ the same as the one he'd had with Hiashi earlier that day. She couldn't see the wonderful qualities she possessed. On the outside, she was beautiful beyond words. But he knew that beneath that beauty was a kind, compassionate and strong woman.

It seemed that despite the time that had passed, she still suffered from the same insecurities she had as a child. And he knew her family was the reason for it.

She saw the look in his eyes. By suggesting that he had an ulterior motive, she had unintentionally hurt him. She quickly apologized, not knowing what else to do. "I'm sorry, Naruto-kun."

He nodded his head, accepting it. He wished he could tell her. If she only knew. If everyone in the village only knew how he wanted to just forget…EVERYTHING. Leave his past and so many awful memories behind. Memories of a childhood lost, where he was ostracized and hunted for what he held. Of believing he had found the love he so desperately sought, only to have his heart ripped painfully from his chest, without a second thought as to how it would affect him. Decisions that later in life he regretted, because they had led him down a path of self-destruction, and away from what might possibly have been true happiness.

He thought back to a few days ago when the messenger had found him. He didn't know what to expect; the message had been intentionally vague. However, it became painfully clear when he met with Kakashi-sensei what the situation with Hinata was. At first he'd resisted the idea of marrying her. He wasn't sure why, perhaps he felt he didn't need a change in his life. That he was all right with the way things were.

Then, Hiashi made the offer – he'd belittled Hinata enough during the meeting that when he finally hit his breaking point, he'd accepted his proposal without a second thought. And now, here was Hinata offering him a chance to walk away from the promise he made.

But one thing Hinata forgot is that he never goes back on a promise. **_Ever._**

And the more he thought about it, the more the idea of having a family began to appeal to him. He wanted to be a husband and a father, offering his strength and support to them no matter how good or bad things became. The idea of coming home to someone and just talking about your day, or doing tasks around the house filled him with a sense of warmth that he hadn't felt in a long time. He wanted to give someone the feeling he never had growing up. The feeling that he'd missed so much.

He was sure that they would help him fill that void in his heart. Help him forget how much everything hurt.

Her voice pulled him out of his thoughts. "It's just that I think you should marry someone you love, and not someone who's been forced upon you."

"Love?" He chuckled, laughing softly. That sound alone gave Hinata goose bumps. "You, better than anyone else should know that love isn't real."

She looked at him, shocked at his statement. This wasn't the Naruto that she remembered. What happened to the happy, carefree man she knew? The one who always smiled, no matter how bad the situation?

She silently wondered what happened that made him so cynical about love. Could what happened with Sakura have hurt him that much? Or was it something else? What happened to make him like this?

She lifted her head and stated defiantly, "I do believe in love."

"I think you're being overly optimistic," Naruto argued. "If love exists, then tell me – where's Hikaru's father? Where has he been all this time? Why hasn't he cared enough to be here for both of you, rather than allow your reputation to be dragged through the mud?"

Hinata didn't have an answer for that, and stared at her feet silently.

He pressed her for an answer. "Who's the father?"

Immediately, Naruto could tell she wasn't expecting to hear the question – especially not from him, and not in that manner. Her demeanor became hard and rigid, and the emotional walls that she had let down were suddenly back. She narrowed her eyes and answered him coldly, "That's none of your business."

Not wanting to give an inch, he responded in kind. "I believe it is. I've accepted your father's proposal; therefore it gives me the right to ask."

She refused to yield to his demands. "And I still haven't accepted my father's proposal."

He ignored her and asked, "Do you love him?" She noticed that his voice was still firm, but now had an undertone of anger. He needed to know for some reason. "Do you still love him?"

Her head came up and met his gaze. She looked into his eyes – those beautiful blue eyes – and saw the anger along with a new emotion – fear. What was he afraid of? This was Naruto – he'd fought battles against impossible odds and never flinched. The look he was giving her both confused and terrified her at the same time.

She had to leave, to get as far away from him as she could before she lost control. But her body wouldn't move and her heart was beating so fast she thought it was going to explode at any second.

Where was Hikaru? She spotted him hanging from one of the trees that surrounded the park. He was her way out of this. She needed to get to him and walk away quickly, before something happened…

"I have to go." She said, barely containing her anxiety. As she stood up and tried to walk past him, he grabbed her arm and turned her face to look at him.

"Do I know him?" He stared at her face, looking for something that would confirm his line of questioning. "Is he married?" He saw her gaze falter a bit, and suddenly everything seemed to make sense to him. "That's it. He's married and the two of you are lovers. **_That's_** why you don't want to marry me. You're still secretly seeing each other."

The sound of her hand hitting Naruto's face echoed throughout the park. They stared at each other for several seconds; Naruto was shocked while Hinata was angry.

She spoke first and broke the silence. "That was uncalled for. Let me go. Right now."

The tone of voice she used made it very clear that there wasn't room for discussion. He released her arm, and watched silently as she walked to Hikaru. Grabbing his hand, she left the park with her back rigid, dragging her son along. She didn't look back.

He sat there, shocked. The mark on his cheek was slowly fading thanks to the nine-tailed fox, but the emotional pain that it caused still lingered. What the hell had possessed him to act like that? He had no information, no evidence that anything he'd just said was true, yet he'd continued to pepper her with questions until she'd had enough and left, angry and hurt.

At that moment, he realized that the way he'd acted towards Hinata was just like Hiashi did with him earlier that day, and the thought made him sick to his stomach.

Naruto closed his eyes, lost in thought. He really didn't have the right to demand anything from her, especially who Hikaru's father was. And did it really matter? If he married her, wouldn't both of them become his, just as he would become theirs?

He wondered what the reason behind this overwhelming need was. His first thought was that maybe it was from his meeting with Sakura earlier that day, where she had been curt and unemotional, as usual giving him nothing to help ease his confusion or pain, before sending him on his way.

Sakura didn't know it yet, but both she and Sasuke were going to be parents. While sometimes he still had problems reading emotions and body language, he was quite adept at noticing physical changes in the human body, and the telltale signs were there. He was happy for them both, but he also realized with a twinge of jealousy that he wanted what they had.

_He wanted a family. He wanted it more than anything._

The realization hit him like a ton of bricks. The one person who had loved him more than anything - who had confessed her love to him almost at the cost of her own life - needed his help, and what had he done? He'd pestered her with embarrassing and painful questions, until she'd finally had enough and left with her son, angry and hurt at his words. He'd been given an opportunity, and he'd blown it. Big time.

The guilt over his actions suddenly gripped his heart. He realized that he was no better than Hiashi. He'd ignored Hinata's feelings for him all those years ago after the fight with Pain, and he was ignoring them now. All things considered, Hinata had let him off lightly but it still didn't stop him from coming to the conclusion that he'd really fucked things up royally. He needed to find her and apologize, and hopefully she would forgive him and grant him a second chance.

_A chance to make up for all the mistakes he'd made in his life where she was concerned. A chance to finally make things right._

He shook his head, trying to erase the painful memories from his thoughts. They weren't helping right now, and dwelling on the idea of 'what-ifs' and 'could have beens' wasn't making things any easier.

Standing up with new purpose, he wondered how he could possibly fix this. He needed to convince Hinata that he could be a good husband and provider, as well as a good father to Hikaru.

_And then an idea came to him. Maybe he just needed to go back to the basics._

Looking up, he noticed the sun was starting to set. He didn't have much time to put this new plan into action. Smiling, he took off running towards the wealthy district of Konoha.

* * *

Sakura heard a knock on her door and when she opened it, her eyes became wide with shock.

"Hinata? What are you doing here?"

Hinata stared at her. Sakura had never been a very warm and caring person to anyone other than Sasuke, but in the last several years her curt tone of voice had gotten worse. It wasn't necessarily cold, just…abrupt and unconcerned.

"Hello, Sakura. I need to talk with you about…things. May I please come in?"

Sakura stepped aside to let her enter. Hinata came in and sat on the couch, playing with her fingers like she did when she was nervous. Something was clearly wrong, and based on who her earlier visitor was she had a pretty good idea what it could be.

A tea kettle began to whistle in the kitchen. Turning to Hinata she said, "I was just getting ready to have some tea. Would you like some?"

Hinata thought this might help quell her nerves and nodded. "Some oolong tea would be nice, if you have it."

Indicating that she did, Sakura went into the kitchen and prepared the tea, placing it on a serving tray along with some cookies. She was fairly sure that this was going to be a _long_ conversation and they were going to need something to eat during it.

She came back into the living room, set down the tray and gave Hinata her tea. For a few minutes, they just sat there in silence until finally Sakura realized that she was still very nervous. Deciding to start the conversation she asked, "Why are you here, Hinata?"

Her eyes had a haunted look. "I need someone to talk to, and some advice. You're the only person I can talk with about this."

"Is it about the boy?"

Hinata glared at her. "Hikaru. His name is Hikaru, Sakura. Stop calling him 'the boy' because he has a name and I would appreciate it if you would use it."

Sakura rolled her eyes and said, "Fine. It still doesn't answer the question as to why you're here, but I'm guessing it's got something to do with Naruto. What's going on between you two? And why do you look like you've been chased by ghosts?"

If only she knew how true her statement was, because she felt like she _was_ being chased by ghosts. Ghosts from her past.

Hinata looked at her carefully. Sakura's tone of voice had turned defensive and she wondered why. "Why do you want to know?"

"Naruto came by here earlier to 'visit' – at least that's what he told me. But he wasn't really interested in hearing about me or Sasuke; he just kept asking questions about who Hikaru's father is."

The color drained from Hinata's face and she said, "Did you tell him anything?"

"No. I told him he could either stop asking or leave. He left."

"Do you think he knows anything?"

"Naruto?" Sakura snorted. "Of course not. You can waive something right under his nose and he'd still be totally clueless."

Hinata thought about the conversation she just had with Naruto. "Not from what I just saw. I talked with him just a little while ago. He's changed, Sakura. He's not the same happy kid who saw the good in everything. He's become insensitive and hard-hearted."

Sakura shrugged, indifferent. "I didn't notice anything unusual. He seemed the same to me."

Hinata scowled at the offhand comment. "None of you actually knew him like I did. I watched him from the shadows and sidelines as he hid behind a false image, hiding the pain he really felt."

Sakura didn't have an answer for that statement and sat there, blank and unresponsive.

Hinata fought to choke back the tears that were forming in her eyes. "He even told me that love isn't real. That he doesn't believe in love anymore." She looked at Sakura, who sat there unemotional. "What did you do to him?"

"Excuse me?"

The tears were falling from her eyes. "I'm sure Naruto-kun as seen and done many things over the last eight years that would haunt most people. But that wouldn't explain why he said that." Her eyes bored into Sakura's. "The only explanation is that his heart was broken so severely, that the idea of love existing in his life again is too painful a concept to believe in."

Sakura pursed her lips and said, "And?"

"And we were together on that mission for almost a year. There was never a time – not once – that we talked about what he meant to you. Or what really happened between the two of you before he left the village."

Sakura scoffed and said, "It doesn't matter anymore. What happened between us is dead and buried."

"That's not the answer I'm looking for."

"Well, it's the only answer you're going to get. I'll tell you the same thing I told Naruto. Stop asking about this and move on to another subject."

Hinata was starting to get angry with her flippant attitude. She decided that Sakura needed a taste of her own medicine.

With a confidence the belied her inner anxiety, she said "Father has asked him to marry me."

It had the desired effect. Sakura's face lost all color and she quickly blurted out, "You can't marry him."

That one statement put her over the edge. Her voice took on the same tone she had used back at the park on Naruto. "You do not tell me who I can or can't marry, Sakura."

"Don't do it, Hinata."

"Why do you care?"

"Because he doesn't love you."

"Thank you for reminding me of that fact once again, Sakura. Do you think I've forgotten that? You and I both know very well who he loves, who was always first in his thoughts and heart. We both also know who used that love to her convenience, breaking his heart beyond repair in the process."

"He knew what he was getting into when we dated." Sakura retorted bitingly.

"Did he? Looking back at it now, I highly doubt that. You knew what he meant to me and how much I loved him. And you obviously didn't care enough to let him know right from the beginning that I loved him and _you didn't_."

Sakura was glaring daggers at her. It appeared that she had struck a nerve; apparently that statement had more truth than she cared to admit.

Sakura knew that Hinata was slowly convincing herself to marry Naruto. Desperate to regain control of the conversation, she said the only thing left that came to mind.

"Think about Hikaru."

And then all of a sudden, she began to see everything clearly. Regardless of who Naruto loved, she'd been acting selfishly by not thinking about her son. Deep down, she knew that Neji had been right. Her son needed a father.

Hinata turned and smiled at her. "Thanks for reminding me."

And Sakura smiled back, thinking that she had talked her out of it. The smile quickly vanished when Hinata said, "I should accept because of Hikaru. He deserves to have a father."

"Haven't you been listening to me? He doesn't love you!"

"So what? You're missing one important piece of information." The smile Hinata was wearing grew bigger as she thought about what Naruto had said earlier. "He knows he doesn't have to marry me. I told him as much. He said he knew that, but he _wanted_ to do it. It doesn't matter to me who holds his heart. I've known of arranged marriages that have lasted because both people based it on mutual respect and trust. I'm sure that Naruto-kun and I can achieve a marriage like that."

"Don't you see?" Anxiety had gripped Sakura upon seeing Hinata's resolve. "He just wants to marry you for the prestige that your name will provide him. His dream has always been to be Hokage. The dobe is only using you to get what he's always wanted!"

That was the last straw. Unleashing a large amount of killing intent, Hinata activated her Byakugan and quickly lashed out, striking three tenketsu points and driving the air from her lungs. Sakura crumpled onto the floor, gasping for breath and clutching her chest.

"This will be your only warning, Sakura. If you ever talk about Naruto-kun like that again, I'll Jyuuken your body so bad you'll have to eat your meals through a straw for the next six months. Do you understand?"

Sakura could only nod at her, since she was struggling to breathe right now.

"Do you honestly think Naruto-kun would do something like that? That he would use me to further his own ends?" The words were rushing out and she continued relentlessly. "Why do you want to take the only opportunity I have to live my life away from me? Is it that you can't stand the idea of him being with someone else? That you want him to pine for you forever and see him wallow in his loneliness? Or is it that you can't stand the fact that **_HE...WANTS...ME?_**_"_

Hinata received no answer, but she didn't need one. How could she be so stupid and allow pride to blind her? She thought back to the past and how often she used to dream of being in this position, and now here it was offered with no strings attached and she may have ruined her chances completely. Hinata had come to Sakura looking for answers but they were there all along…

…Maybe Naruto-kun hadn't asked her father for her hand in marriage.

…And maybe he hadn't asked her to marry him in the traditional way, on bended knee with a ring.

…And perhaps he hadn't shown a shred of affection, not even feigned it. He told her he didn't believe that love was real.

But he was an honorable man, deeply wounded by his past just like her. He was lonely and reaching out for someone.

No matter what the reasons were, she wanted to become his wife. She wanted it more than anything.

And so she left Sakura's apartment, intent on finding Naruto no matter how long it took.

* * *

She ran towards the hotel Naruto was staying at, hoping she wasn't too late. Upon arriving, the front desk informed her that he wasn't in his room and that they hadn't seen him. She asked how long his stay was scheduled for, and they said he was due to check out tomorrow.

Thanking them, she turned and left. Tears began to fall down her face and memories of her childhood came to the surface. Eight years ago, she had resigned herself to the fact that Naruto would probably never come back to the village, and that her dreams would probably go unfulfilled. And now here he was, back again after all this time and he actually wanted to marry her. And what did she do? She'd tried to talk him out of it, and had driven him away in the process. Now he was gone once again, maybe forever this time.

She turned and began to walk despondently towards her home, wrapping her arms around herself in an attempt to hold in the pain. She realized what a fool she'd been, and she had no one to blame but herself. Why had she let this opportunity slip away from her? Why had she fought what her heart clearly wanted?

The Hyūga compound. It was her home; at least for now but she was going to be thrown out sooner or later. She was a shame to her father and her clan. And even though she knew Neji would always take care of her and her son, it wasn't his burden to bear. He was married to Tenten and deserved to have a life and family of his own.

It was dark when the sky decided to open its gates, giving way to a cold, persistent rain which perfectly matched her mood. Shivering in the cold and wallowing in her own self pity, she didn't notice the figure standing next to the gate to the compound. She was scared at first because the darkness and rain didn't allow her to distinguish the blurry shape, but as soon as she activated her Byakugan she immediately knew who it was.

She deactivated her Byakugan, terrified that this was all a dream. She lost the ability to speak as he stepped into the light.

"What are you doing out of your house at this hour?"

Did…did she hear tenderness in his voice? He removed the coat he was wearing and put it on her, trying to cover her from the rain – if that was even possible since the garment was just as soaked as she was. She looked at it...ankle length with short sleeves, colored red with black flames along the bottom. She recognized it immediately...

It was the same one he was wearing the day he defeated Pain.

Despite what everyone thought, Naruto wasn't stupid. Oblivious maybe, but not stupid. He was fully aware of the significance of the coat and what it represented. And he was counting on the effect it would have on Hinata.

Hinata knew what the coat was, and the memories that it brought back were almost too much to bear. He had been waiting for her. She was mesmerized by the intensity of his gaze and couldn't look away. Her only thought was that she hoped that he didn't know she'd been crying, and that her face was wet because of the rain.

"Besides, you'll catch a cold walking in the rain like this. I guess when we get married I'll have to watch over you more closely. If you get sick, who's going to cook for me and wash my clothes?" He smiled at her and winked.

"Mar...Married?"

The tone of his voice became tender and concerned. "Why not? We're two lonely souls and we both understand the pain of not being accepted for who we are. And I think you've forgotten that I never go back on my word. When I decide to do something, I won't let anything stop me. I want to marry you, Hinata. Very much."

She knew the truth of that statement. When Naruto-kun insisted on something there was no stopping him.

"I...I..." She stammered, feeling taken aback.

She swallowed hard, trying to calm down but her heart was running at full speed, making it difficult to do. Her breath caught in her throat as he raised his hand to wipe the tears from her face. How could he have known that she had been crying? Kami, his touch was delightful. The stroke of his hand on her skin felt like wildfire. She closed her eyes and leaned into his palm, lost in the sensation that it was bringing.

The look on his face turned apologetic. "Please forgive me. I shouldn't have asked about Hikaru's father. You're absolutely right, it's none of my business and I promise from now on I won't bring up the subject of his parentage again to you."

He took both of her hands in his. She opened her eyes and stared at her small, white hands that seemed so lost in his huge tanned hands. The sensation that ran through her arms to the center of her being awakened a whirlwind of emotions inside her.

"I think we both can make this marriage work and that you and I deserve this opportunity." He looked deep into her eyes and smiled for a moment. "And I make you the promise of a lifetime that I will always be there for you and Hikaru."

Hinata was teetering on the edge of consciousness. He suddenly let go of her hands and reached into his pocket, producing a small velvet box. Opening it, he revealed a 5 Carat Princess Cut Amethyst and Diamond engagement ring.

Still looking deep into her eyes, he dropped to one knee and said, "Hinata Hyūga. You are one of my most precious people. Would you do me the honor of marrying me and letting me be a father to Hikaru?"

Hinata couldn't think, couldn't breathe. She was going to lose it; her body was going haywire and her legs were giving out. The intensity of the moment was so great that there was only one thing she could possibly do…

She fainted.

Naruto caught her bridal style, stopping her fall before she hit the ground. Holding her close as he carried her into the house, he smiled and whispered in her ear…

"I'll take that as a yes."

* * *

Hinata stirred and opened her eyes. She blinked a few times to take in her surroundings and noticed that she was in her room, in bed.

"Nice to see you back among the living, cousin."

Turning her head, she saw Neji sitting in a chair that had been turned around, leaning against the backrest. He was grinning from ear to ear.

Still a bit groggy, she looked at him and asked, "What…What happened? How…How did I get here?"

"Naruto met you at the main entrance. He proposed and you passed out." He chuckled a bit and said, "I guess I was right. You _can't_ talk to him without fainting."

Her face turning red from embarrassment, she tried hiding under the covers. It was then that she realized that she was wearing only her underwear.

"Nii-san! Where are my clothes?"

"Hinata, calm down. After you fainted, Naruto carried you into the compound and put you here in your room before leaving. I had Yui get you out of your wet clothes so you wouldn't catch a cold, and she put you into bed."

"Nar…Naruto-kun carried me in here?"

"Yes. And in case you're wondering if it was all a dream…" Neji pointed to the corner of her room, and hanging there to dry was the coat that Naruto had so lovingly put around her shoulders.

Neji stood and said, "Now that you're awake, I'll be going. Tenten must be wondering where I am." He opened the door and just as he was about to leave, he looked back at her. His eyes twinkled mischievously and said, "By the way, it's a beautiful ring. Congratulations." And with that, he closed the door behind him.

She suddenly looked down and there, on the third finger of her left hand was the ring Naruto had used to propose. He must have put it on her before he left.

The Amethyst seemed to match the color of her eyes, and was surrounded by a halo of miniature diamonds. It must have cost a fortune. And the subtle fact that the Amethyst on the ring was a Princess Cut wasn't lost on her, either. **_He still thinks of me as a princess_**…her heart swelled as she looked at the ring once again.

_Her ring_, she corrected herself. It belonged to her and no one else. Even more amazing was that it seemed to fit perfectly on her finger and didn't need to be sized.

Maybe this was a sign from Kami that finally, things would work out. That this wouldn't be another opportunity missed. That she would have the ability to live her life, free from the disappointments of her clan.

Lying down on the bed, she hugged her knees to her chest and cried herself to sleep. Only this time, they weren't tears of sadness but were instead tears of joy.

* * *

A/N: Okay, once again to everyone who came from Nube de Cristal's original story, welcome. I hope you liked the new content; I really put some serious effort into the romance aspect of it. I'm eager to see the reviews for this chapter since I read and re-read it about 20 times to make sure it worked just right.

So, I'm starting a new thing going forward…Recommending another writer's work that provides me with ideas and inspiration. The reason being is that I love giving kudos to other people if I believe their story rocks. If I do this, you can bet that I'll make sure to give full credit to the original story and hope you check it out because they should be acknowledged for what they do.

This chapter's recommendation is for author **SWAGOSAURUS**, and his great fanfic **Perfectly Imperfect Love**. Be warned – this is a _NaruSaku_ fanfic…and while I'm a diehard **_NaruHina_** fan, I do appreciate another pairing as long as they don't bash anyone else. This one fits the bill, but be warned – it's a **_DarkFic_**, rated M but _not for lemons_. He hasn't updated in a few months, so if you like it leave him a review and maybe this will push him to write again.

Last of all, remember that the first few chapters will be somewhat repetitive if you are coming from the old story so PLEASE bear with me while I get through them as quick as possible and get to the new stuff. Every chapter will have SOMETHING new; I'm just not sure how much.

That's all for now. Take care and stay safe.

.

Serious Sam


	4. Ch 3: Conversation With a Hokage

**3\. Conversation with a Hokage **

**_And…chapter 3! The hits just keep on coming!_**

Once again I need to thank Nube de Cristal for the story and the idea, as well as being my beta. I'm very grateful for her allowing me to adopt it and letting me continue writing such a great story.

Before I begin, I want to thank everyone who left me a review on the last chapter. I read them all, the good and the bad. If you have a specific issue (or problem) with the story I try to respond to it personally and say thank you, even if you didn't like it. This is my first fanfic (sort of, since Nube's story is helping) but I'm learning on the job. The reviews – real and anonymous, good and bad – helped with the writing of this chapter. And they will help with the next as well. So please leave them, make me feel good about what I'm doing and help me be a better writer. It's for a good cause!

As it is with most things I'm adding to the story, the little fight scene that I worked into the last chapter between Sakura and Hinata, as well as Naruto manipulating the situation so that Hinata wouldn't say no to him when he propsed were done for future plot development and will be addressed in chapter 4 (and yes, I know that's the next chapter). It's essential for the direction I want to take the story in the beginning chapters. I realize that I won't be able to please everyone, but all I ask is that you give the story a chance to explain. I'm working as fast as I can on the rewrite, but it's rather hard trying to integrate the new stuff with the old story and keep it true to form.

So, once again – REVIEWS MAKE THE WORLD GO ROUND! Love getting them, so keep up the good work!

What's new here? Well, as usual dialogue and flow have been fixed, I expanded on the conversation with Kakashi and about two thirds of the chapter is all new stuff. So this should help with some more background material and how things will set up down the road.

**_Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto._**

**_Masashi Kishimoto – Surely, you can't be serious._**

**_Disclaimer – I am serious. And don't call me Shirley. (+1 if you get the reference)._**

* * *

Chapter 3 – Conversation with a Hokage

Barely a week had passed in Konoha. The engagement had formally been announced and the news was spreading throughout the village. During that time, Naruto and Hinata were seen spending quite a bit of time together, talking of matters pertaining to the wedding as well as renewing their friendship.

Kakashi knew he needed to have a conversation with Naruto and thought it would be best to have it sooner rather than later. He scheduled a meeting for noon in his office, intent on discussing a great many things with the 'future Hokage'.

At the appointed time, Naruto arrived at the tower. Remembering how Kakashi used to enter the office when Tsunade was in charge, he sent chakra into his feet and ran up the side of the building and onto the balcony so that he could enter through the window.

Sitting on the window sill, he watched Kakashi as he rubbed his temples, attempting to massage away the massive headache he apparently had. It appeared that being Hokage was far more stressful and demanding than he had originally thought.

Not that it would deter him, of course. He still wanted the job.

Kakashi turned around and said, "Nice to see you're here on time. However, would it be too much to ask for you to use the door?"

Naruto decided to have some fun and said, "Yeah, actually it would. My flames of youth are burning brightly today! Yosh!" Striking the nice guy pose, he smiled and gave Kakashi a big thumbs up.

Kakashi groaned. Without the tiniest bit of humor in his voice, he said "Not funny, Naruto. Not funny at all."

"Are you kidding, Kakashi-sensei? It's hilarious!" Hopping down from the window, he walked to the chair opposite his desk and sat down.

"So, you decided to accept Hiashi's proposal and marry Hinata. I would like to personally congratulate you; she's a wonderful woman and I'm sure that you'll both be very happy together."

"Thank you very much."

"Word on the street is that you made it almost 5 minutes into the meeting before accepting the offer and telling Hiashi to shove it." Inwardly, Kakashi was pleased with himself; Naruto in some ways was still just as predictable. His idea of having Hiashi belittle Hinata had worked like a charm. He should've bet Tsunade that it would work because he would have made a fortune knowing her luck as the 'legendary sucker'.

"More or less. Listening to that man makes my teeth itch."

"He's going to be your father-in-law, you know."

"Don't remind me."

"Also, this morning I received the marriage contract from the Hyūga clan for approval. I find it interesting that it arrived today considering the news was all over the village several days ago."

Naruto shrugged. "It's not really that big of a deal. I was having a bit of a disagreement with Hiashi and Neji regarding Hinata's dowry. They insisted that I take it in order to assure that Hinata would continue to live the life to which she'd become accustomed. I told them that I didn't want it and didn't need it to marry her. In the end, I won and the condition was removed before sending it to you."

"I imagine it filled you with a certain sense of self-worth telling Hiashi you didn't need his money."

He rolled his eyes and said, "You have _no_ idea."

"I also heard that you purchased a rather large home in the new resort on the outskirts of the village."

Suddenly, Naruto recognized what was going on. This was going to be one of _those_ meetings. Not two friends talking about old times, but more of a 'friendly interrogation'. He had an idea as to where this conversation was going to end up but vowed to remain impassive for as long as he could.

Adopting a blank stare, he said "So?"

"Add to that the fact that you've been buying expensive gifts all week and sending them to Hinata..."

He remained silent.

"There are rumors running around the village that you're squandering Hinata's dowry. But since you didn't accept it, we both know that's not true, right?"

"Where are you going with this?"

Kakashi activated the privacy seals on the room before standing up and walking over to the windows in his office from which he could see all of Konoha. Naruto remained seated, staring impassively at the back of his former teacher.

"Two years ago, our intelligence network began to hear stories of strangers passing through the Land of Fire. They were part of an elite organization called the Mienai Segi. Very few can be members."

Naruto narrowed his eyes, "What's that got to do with me?"

"Maybe nothing... but then again, where there's smoke there's usually fire." He turned around and walked toward the blond. "This organization is very strict; few choose to remain after being accepted. They train for days on end under brutal conditions, not stopping to eat or sleep during the entire time."

"Sounds rather farfetched if you ask me. More like fairy tales that people have created to scare young children at night. It's impossible for something like that to be real."

Kakashi stopped in front of him and continued as if he hadn't been interrupted. "The members embrace a life of solitude and restriction where they learn to control their carnal appetites, learning forbidden jutsu that only people with a firm grasp of themselves can achieve."

Naruto looked at him impassively.

"Their missions could almost be considered suicidal. For those who believe that they'd found happiness only to suffer the pain of betrayal, it's the perfect place to find their release in death." He paused for a brief moment. "Missions are usually paid for by Daimyo and other members of nobility. The payment from a single mission is usually greater than a ninja's annual income."

Leaning closer, Kakashi stared hard at him. "Which brings us to your rather...shall we say, extravagant expenses lately. I've been waiting for the right time to have this conversation with you."

The young ninja shrugged. "So what if I've spent a bit of money lately? It's nobody business but my own. I haven't had a need to use a lot of the money I've made on missions over the years."

"Roll up your sleeves."

"No."

"If you have nothing to hide, why don't you do it?"

"I don't have to take this." Naruto stood up, determined to leave.

Kakashi firmly said, "Sit down, Naruto. I'm not finished yet."

For a few seconds, he feared Naruto would disobey. But the young man did as he ordered.

"I don't need to see the marks on your arms to know that you were a member."

The blond sighed, defeated. "Fine, you got me. I was a member. Is there a problem with that?"

"No. But as the Hokage, It's important for me to know what resources I have available for the protection of Konoha." He softly added, "I'm not judging you, Naruto. All missions you led, at least those that came to my ears seemed to be justified."

"I don't know if I'd call them justified."

"Naruto, in life everything isn't just black or white. There's also a middle ground where things are gray. Many ninjas live our entire lives immersed in the middle where right and wrong aren't clearly defined."

Kakashi tried to lighten the mood a bit. He eye smiled and said, "So one of my students was a member of the Mienai Segi. And not only a member, but also led a squad."

"Only for five years." Naruto shrugged, not giving it much importance.

"That means after three years of joining the organization you already had a squad." Kakashi could not contain the pride in his voice. He sat at his desk and crossed his arms in front of him. "I'm curious…how many forbidden jutsu did you learn?"

"I'm not really sure. About twenty, give or take. At least the ones I'm sure I can fully control."

"Is it true that members rarely used them?"

Naruto nodded, "Yes, the priority of a member is to master the jutsu for our own personal growth. We actually try to depend on our own strength and skills to complete a mission. Only in very extreme cases do we use them."

Kakashi nodded in acceptance. "Did you ever have the need to use one?"

"Only once."

"And can you teach me some?"

The blond laughed, "C'mon, sensei…I'm sure you know that we're forbidden to do so."

"I figured as much. But it never hurts to ask."

After a prolonged silence, Naruto asked "Was this the only reason you brought me here, Kakashi-sensei? To get information about the Mienai Segi?"

Kakashi looked down at his desk and said, "That's partially correct, Naruto. However, another part is personal and rather important to me." There was a moment of silence as he struggled to find the right words to say next. When he looked up, Naruto could see his lone visible eye was slightly moist. The only other time he had seen Kakashi this emotional was when he talked about Rin.

"I admit that we haven't been fair to you." There was genuine sincerity in his voice. "This village treated you poorly for a good portion of your life, and you were only accepted after you defeated Pain. Then, you saved the village again – and possibly the world – during the 4th shinobi war. For those deeds alone, everyone should have acknowledged you as a legend and begged you to forgive them for the appalling way they behaved towards you. Instead, here we are eight years later and people seem to have forgotten what you did and who you truly are – the Hero of the Leaf and son of Minato Namikaze, the Yondaime Hokage."

Naruto placed a hand to the back of his neck, feeling a little uncomfortable with the emotion in the room right now. "It doesn't matter, sensei. I did what I had to do."

Kakashi rose and came around the front of his desk and stood in front of Naruto. "Of course it does. It matters to me, not only as Hokage but as your former sensei as well. You returned to the village and we once again shouldered you with a responsibility that frankly wasn't yours to bear. Most people don't care about the right or wrong of things, they just take the easy way out. However, you always cared enough to do the right thing even if that meant doing things the hard way. And you never did it for selfish reasons; it was to protect those who are precious to you – and sometimes those who weren't. We all owe you an apology and I offer you one on behalf of the entire village."

And then before a stunned Naruto, Kakashi bowed low before him.

Never in his wildest dreams would Naruto have believed that one day the Hokage of the leaf village would be bowing in front of him, offering an apology. It was a surreal moment, and frankly a little embarrassing as well.

"Thank you Kakashi-sensei. I accept your apology, but can we just let the past be the past? I'd rather just forget about it."

Standing up and nodding his head in acknowledgment, Kakashi walked back around his desk and sat down. "That brings me to the final reason why I brought you here. Your past."

"Excuse me?"

"Your past, Naruto. There are things about your past that even I, as Hokage don't know. But I do know that you left this village because the situation and emotional pain had become unbearable. For starters, your last fight with Sasuke was very...unpleasant for the both of you."

That was the understatement of the year. Kakashi knew that the word 'unpleasant' could never accurately describe what must have been a horrific battle, one that neither one of them had wanted to talk about. He still remembered very vividly the condition in which he'd found them both. He'd brought them to the hospital; after Sasuke had healed enough he disappeared again. Kakashi heard a rumor that Sasuke had talked with Naruto before he left to explain why he was leaving again, but no one could ever confirm it.

"And if you add in what you went through with Sakura..."

"I'd rather not talk about it," Naruto cut him off icily.

Kakashi sighed. "You should. Apparently, it still affects you."

"What good will it do sensei? It won't change the past."

"But it might help the future. Talking about it is cathartic; having someone else listen to the problem rather than attempt to rationalize it yourself can sometimes make all the difference in the world." Kakashi looked at him and said, "If you're willing to talk, I'll listen. You have my word that the conversation will never be known outside this room."

Naruto thought for a few minutes about his offer. Would it be so bad to talk with someone else who might understand? Besides Sasuke and himself, the one person who would know the most about Sakura was Kakashi.

Naruto leaned back in his chair and sighed. "Fine. Where should I start?"

"I usually find the beginning to be a great place. And you don't have to go into great detail about anything if you don't want to."

"Thanks for the offer, but I didn't plan on it." He looked to the side and said, "It's basically no secret how I felt about Sakura from my earliest days in Team 7. I admired her for who she was – smart, beautiful…hell, she still _is_ beautiful. She was the first girl to publicly acknowledge me as a person rather than the 'demon spawn' the rest of the village called me."

Kakashi winced when he heard that. "Go on."

"But no matter how hard I tried, she always had eyes for Sasuke. I mean, the abuse I received from her was - for lack of a better word, painful – but I thought that by taking the abuse, eventually she would see how much I cared about her and give me a chance. Give _us_ a chance."

"It doesn't work that way, Naruto. Abuse is abuse, whether physical or verbal. And intentional or not, Sakura was both."

"I know that now, sensei. But you know what it's like when you're young and in love, you think you know everything when in fact you know nothing. You become blind to reality and reason."

Kakashi could only nod.

"Well, after the…incident happened with Sasuke and he left, I thought I would try again and asked Sakura out. She accepted, but looking back on it now I'm not sure if it was out of pity or spite."

He stood and walked to the window. "For a year, I gave everything I had to her…my heart, my soul…she was the center of my world. And every day she grew a little more distant. Until the day I wanted to formalize our relationship. I'll never forget that day."

Naruto couldn't keep Sakura's cold words from coming back. "She basically told me that I was merely a stepping stone; a way to pass the time and forget the void that Sasuke had left in her heart. She said there was nothing that would ever come of us, and that what little we had – if it ever existed in the first place – was dead."

He turned, walking back to his chair. "It was at that point I realized what I had become to Sakura; an annoying fanboy who foolishly believed in an unreachable dream. Despite the pain, I still wanted to see her happy – even if it wasn't with me. So I went to find Sasuke and let him know how Sakura felt about him. After that, it would be up to him whether or not to return."

Sitting back down, he finished his tale. "Regardless of his decision, I decided to leave the village because I was terrified of losing control. The situation had become too much to bear and there was nothing here for me but pain. You know the rest of the story – I left, Sasuke returned and I decided to join the Mienai Segi."

After a tense minute or so, Kakashi said in a sad voice. "Unfortunately Naruto you learned a lesson the hard way, like many of us often do. You can't dictate who the heart will love. It only makes things more difficult in the end for everyone." He tilted his head to the side. "For what it's worth though, I honestly believe that Sakura wants to be your friend. While it's not what you may have wanted, it's certainly better than having her hate you."

Naruto sighed. "I know sensei, I know. I just wish sometimes that things could have been…different…with my life."

With a haunted look in his eyes, Kakashi replied "So do I, Naruto. So do I." Removing the privacy seals from the room so that Naruto could leave, he finished "But I think you might find that a life with Hinata can be more fulfilling and rewarding than a life with Sakura ever could have been."

Naruto pondered those words as rose from his seat and walked towards the door. "Thank you for allowing me to get that off my chest, Kakashi-sensei. I think it helped a little."

"Anytime, Naruto. And if there is ever anything I can do for you, please just let me know."

Reaching out for the doorknob, Naruto stopped. After a moment of silence, he said "Actually, there is one thing that…"

The sound of something hitting the desk made him turn around.

"What's that?"

Kakashi eye smiled at him. "**_That_**, Naruto...is **_the one thing_**."

* * *

At the same time Naruto was scheduled to meet with Kakashi, Hinata was on her way to the hospital. She needed to talk with Tsunade about a few things related to Naruto, and couldn't think of a better time than when he was busy in a meeting with the Hokage.

Knocking politely on the door, Tsunade told her to come in. Shizune was there and it looked like they were having an important meeting.

"I apologize, Lady Tsunade. I didn't mean to interrupt. I can come by later…"

"Nonsense, Hinata. Please come in; Shizune and I were merely discussing how to best implement some new battlefield medical procedures for severe traumatic limb salvage. Not a very exciting subject, but necessary nonetheless. What can I do for you?"

"I wanted to talk with you about…Naruto-kun. He's currently meeting with the Hokage and if it's not too much trouble..."

Tsunade interrupted her with a smile. "Of course Hinata, I'd be glad to. Shizune, could you please give us some privacy? And tell everyone that other than matters of life and death, I'm not to be disturbed." She smirked and said, "Why don't you go chase Iruka around his desk at the academy for lunch?"

"Lady Tsunade!" Shizune said, shocked. However, they could tell by the look on her face that she was considering it. "I'll see you in an hour or so." As she left the office, Tsunade activated the seals for privacy.

"So, before we start you have to let me see it."

"See what?"

"The ring, Hinata! What else?" Tsunade said, almost giggling with excitement.

Smiling, she held out her left hand so that she could get a good look. Tsunade's breath caught in her throat at the beauty of it; marveling at how it matched Hinata's eyes as well as…

"Princess Cut, huh?"

Hinata nodded.

"So he still considers you a princess. I guess I don't give the little gaki enough credit sometimes. It's a very subtle hint as well as being incredibly sweet and romantic."

"I know. When he gave it to me I fainted."

Tsunade laughed. "Still having that problem?"

Hinata looked down, blushing. "I…I guess. I thought I'd gotten better since becoming a mother. I was sure that I would be able to hold out, and I was at first – but when he...I had been crying, and he raised his hand to wipe away my tears. When he touched my cheek it felt like my heart would burst through my chest. Then he produced the ring and bent down on one knee to propose." Her face was flushed just thinking about it. "That's when I fainted. The moment was just too much."

"That's perfectly normal, Hinata. I'm sure quite a few women would pass out if they were in the same situation."

"It's not just that, Lady Tsunade." Hinata closed her eyes, thinking of the blond. "It's everything he does! I mean, I'm not sure he's even aware that he's doing it, but it's just the way he…_naturally is_. The emotions that he brings out in me are almost addictive."

Tsunade's eyes twinkled with mirth. "You got it bad, girl. And you're obviously bothered by it, but the question is why?"

Hinata took a few breaths to calm down before opening her eyes and saying, "Sakura."

"Pardon me?"

"Sakura is what's bothering me, Lady Tsunade. It bothers me that he loves her and that she will always be first in his heart." She stood up and began pacing. "When we were younger, I always watched Naruto-kun. How just by being who he was, he made me stronger. I wanted him to see me, to notice how I felt about him. I never had the courage to tell him how I felt, until the battle with Pain." She thought briefly of the coat that Naruto had put on her that night. "But even after that, he only had eyes for Sakura."

She stopped pacing and looked at Tsunade. "When they started dating, I felt so alone. My heart hurt so badly that it felt like I was dying, but I still wanted Naruto-kun to be truly happy. So I hid my pain behind a friendly mask in front of them."

Tsunade nodded in acceptance. Everyone knew about Hinata's love for Naruto, except Naruto himself.

"But everyone who saw them together noticed how different they acted towards one another. Naruto-kun was always kind, caring and considerate while Sakura was… well, indifferent."

The words were just rushing forth. Tsunade could tell that this had been a long time coming, and she needed to get this off her chest.

Hinata sat back down. "I don't know what she said to him when they broke up, Lady Tsunade. I confronted Sakura at her apartment and asked her what she'd said to him, and she told me to stop asking and move on to another subject because what happened between them was dead and buried." She looked into Tsunade's eyes. "We went on that mission for almost a year, and never once did we talk about what happened between the two of them. But whatever it was, I fear that it broke Naruto-kun's heart beyond repair."

"What makes you think that?"

The tears were starting to fall again as she said, "Because he told me so. That day after he saw you, we talked in the park. He told me that he believed that love isn't real."

Tsunade's voice caught in her throat. She never would have thought something so cold could come from the boy who always seemed so happy.

Hinata put her face in her hands, still crying. "Eight years ago when he left the village, I had given up all hope that he would return. And now he's back…and we're getting married. It's a wonderful dream and a frightening reality at the same time, because I don't want to be second place in his heart." She looked up, her eyes pleading. "I told Sakura that it didn't matter to me who holds his heart, but that's a lie because it does. I don't want part of him, I want all of him. Including the part that Sakura holds."

Tsunade could hear the anguish in her voice. Quickly moving around the desk, she hugged Hinata tightly and stroked her back, whispering soothing words while waiting for her to calm down. After a few minutes, Hinata's crying began to diminish and Tsunade lifted her head from her shoulder.

"Feel better?"

"A little, Lady Tsunade. But it still doesn't change how things are."

"Hinata, we both know that Naruto has been treated unfairly. Not just by Sakura, but by the people of this village as well. You know what his childhood was like." Tsunade looked thoughtful for a moment before saying, "And if his heart was broken beyond repair, I sincerely doubt that he would have come back to help you. I think he's just…hurting. And he needs someone to help fix what's broken."

"But how can I do this? How can I help him find what he believes is gone forever?"

"Give him time, Hinata. There's an old saying, 'time heals all wounds'. Just be there for him, and love him no matter what happens. Be careful not to push or pressure him; he needs to come to the realization all on his own that you mean more to him than Sakura ever did. And when he does, I guarantee that you will hold his heart in the palm of your hand."

Hinata sniffed and said, "Do you really think so?"

"I know so, Hinata. The little gaki may be older and somewhat wiser, but in some ways he's still the same old Naruto. He wants someone to love and love him back. It's just that simple." Tsunade grinned wickedly and said, "And I think once he gets a taste of you, he'll find he likes it better than ramen."

"Lady Tsunade!"

She laughed and returned to her seat. "I'm just teasing, Hinata. Maybe."

It was then that an idea came to Tsunade. One she should have considered before now.

"Now that I think about it, I might have an idea on how we can jump start the process of healing Naruto's broken heart."

Hinata brightened up at hearing this. "Really? How?"

She smirked and said, "Sorry, Hinata. I think I'll save it for your wedding. You can even consider it my gift to the two of you, if you like. But you'll have to wait to find out what it is."

"But…But I want to help!"

"Sorry, this is one thing you can't help me with. You're just going to have to trust me."

Hinata chewed her lower lip in thought before nodding her head in acceptance.

"Thank you, Hinata. Now, is there anything else I can do for you?"

"Yes, Lady Tsunade. There was one other reason that I came here." Her face became serious. "I wish to ask a favor of you."

Cocking an eyebrow, she said "A favor? What favor would that be?"

"I would like to ask if you would preside over the wedding ceremony between Naruto-kun and me. He wanted Kakashi-sensei to officiate, but I told him I had someone else in mind." Hinata bowed her head with respect. "I would be most honored if you would do it."

Tsunade was stunned speechless at the request. After a few moments she returned the bow and said, "No, the honor would be mine. And I gladly accept."

"Thank you, Lady Tsunade. I should be going now; Naruto-kun joins me for tea every afternoon at the Hyūga compound, and I need to be ready for him when he gets there."

She deactivated the privacy seals, and Hinata thanked her once again and left.

Tsunade rested her head on her hands, lost in thought. There was so much to do, and so little time. She definitely needed some help, and the only person she could trust with this was Shizune. _I'll put her right to work on it when she gets back from lunch_, she said to herself as one more thought raced through her mind.

_I get to marry the gaki off, huh? She silently thanked Kami for this gift. Maybe I'll get lucky and the two of them will give me some Naruto grandbabies before I die._

* * *

Naruto walked back over to the desk and looked at what Kakashi had dropped in front of him. It was a mission report from eight years ago.

"Is…Is this what I think it is, Kakashi-sensei?"

"Yes, Naruto it is. It's the report folder for the mission that Tsunade sent Sakura and Hinata on eight years ago." Kakashi's lone eye turned sad. "But before you get your hopes up, I think you should open it and take a look."

He hesitated to open the file. But when he did, needless to say he was shocked.

"What the hell is this? There's practically nothing here! Everything important has been blacked out!"

"That, Naruto is called a redaction seal. It's used occasionally when the village performs highly covert missions that require the utmost secrecy. When this happens, the report is filed and a redaction seal is placed on it which blacks out the important information. I've just never seen one used on a mission that wasn't deemed S-rank or above before."

Naruto flipped through the report, reading what little information was still legible. He saw Sakura and Hinata mentioned several times throughout the document, along with the dates and total cost of the mission in addition to one more reference…_reciprocity agreement._

"What does this mean? _Reciprocity agreement?_"

"Another rarely used contract stipulation, Naruto. There are times when services are performed by other villages as a favor to Konoha. The cost of the mission is borne by the other village in exchange for future payment from us."

"Payment? What kind of payment?"

"Usually it comes in the form of mission requests. However, based on the total cost of what you see here it would take four A-rank or one S-rank mission to reimburse whatever village this was."

Naruto stared at the report, lost in thought. After a moment he said, "Is there any way to remove this…what did you call it? Reduction seal?"

Kakashi sighed. "It's called a redaction seal, Naruto. Normally it can be removed by the Hokage. However this one is a special variant; it's a blood seal that can only be removed by the person who did it in the first place or if the cost of the mission is repaid in full. In this particular case, the blood seal was placed by Tsunade."

There were a few moments of silence as they both understood the significance of that statement. Asking Tsunade was pointless because she wasn't going to remove the seal no matter what.

Naruto was getting loud and frustrated. "So where does this leave us? Leave me? I'm right back at the beginning with no more answers than I had before. Why did you even show this to me in the first place?"

"I showed you for several reasons, Naruto. First of all, I wanted you to know why I can't tell you anything about the mission – which is basically because I know only a little more than you do. Secondly, we at least have _some_ information to go by, particularly dates and a cost of the mission. And I'm sure that at some point the marker for payment will be called."

Looking confused he said, "Marker? What's that mean?"

"It's the last piece of the puzzle. When mission files like the one you hold are redacted, another copy is kept with the village that performed the services for us. This is done so that they can provide proof positive for us as to the nature of the mission, as well as services provided for fair repayment. Once verified, we perform the requested services as reimbursement." He raised his eyebrow. "This is also the reason that a redaction seal goes away when the mission is repaid in full. At that point, we would have access to the non-redacted mission folder that was held at the other village and the need for secrecy would be null and void."

He pointed at the folder. "The fact that the folder remains redacted means that the marker hasn't been called yet. And you have my word that if such a request comes across my desk you'll be the first to know." Looking up, he finished his thought. "In the meantime, I promise I won't stop looking in the mission report archives for anything that might help."

Naruto was silent for a few moments before closing the file. It was then he realized something. "How…How did you know what I was going to ask for?"

Kakashi softly said, "Because Naruto, it's exactly what I would have asked for if I were in your position."

Naruto swallowed the lump that was in his throat. "Thank you for everything, Kakashi-sensei. I should be going now; I meet Hinata at the compound every afternoon for tea and I don't want to be late." And with that, he turned and left.

Kakashi watched him leave, the words of his promise still lingering in his mind. He wanted answers, not only for Naruto but for himself. As Hokage, he didn't like it when there were facts he didn't know and in this case the reason had a face - and it was Tsunade. Her refusal to provide him with the information he wanted aggravated him to no end, and he swore to Kami that he would do whatever it took to find out what she was hiding from him.

* * *

Naruto was walking back to his hotel, thinking about the conversation that he just had with Kakashi. To say that he was stunned by the discussion was putting it mildly.

Kakashi was crafty and far smarter than he'd given him credit for. He hadn't expected to confess to being a member of the Mienai Segi at all. On top of that, he couldn't believe that he'd discussed briefly what had occurred between Sakura and himself eight years ago.

But it was the second and fourth part of the conversation that confused him the most.

The fact that Kakashi had admitted that the village, and more specifically Kakashi himself hadn't been fair to him for a good part of his life wasn't news at all. No, the shocking part was his sincere and heartfelt apology to him about the burdens he'd accepted, either by force or by choice along with the bow of respect.

And then there was the mission report.

It was now clear why Kakashi couldn't tell him about the mission. But what still remained unclear was the reason why it was sealed in the first place. Add to that the fact that the redaction seal seemed to be special; Tsunade had used her blood to make sure the information couldn't be revealed by anyone other than her.

Kakashi had said that the marker hadn't been called yet, and that if he heard anything Naruto would be the first to know. He had to trust him on this; otherwise the truth behind the mission would never be revealed. Unless of course, Hinata told him. And he wasn't counting on that happening anytime soon, if ever.

His thoughts turned to his fiancée. He had promised her that he wouldn't bring up the subject of Hikaru's parentage again to her, and he never went back on a promise. But that didn't mean that he couldn't go looking for the answers on his own…

_Son of a bitch, this line of thought was giving him a headache_. It was probably best to just forget about it for now, get home and clean up before he met with Hinata. He was sure there would be plenty of time to think about this later.

* * *

At the same time, Hinata was walking back to the Hyūga compound thinking about the conversation she just had with Tsunade. She hadn't intended to be so emotional about the situation with Naruto, however she found that once she started talking about it she couldn't stop.

Ever since that day last week when Naruto proposed, the entire scene in front of the compound played over and over in her mind. She had wanted to say something, say anything...but found that she couldn't. Suddenly she was a 13 year old girl again, stammering words and fainting when he talked to her.

It was appalling to her that even after eight years, the strength and resolve she apparently thought she'd gained had been a fantasy, and it galled her that he could still do this to her without even thinking about it.

But at the same time, it was also exhilarating to know that her future husband was someone who she could love so much. She had always known that she would probably be forced into an arranged marriage to strengthen the clan, and that love wasn't even a consideration. But now she was marrying someone who she had loved as a child, and judging by the way she'd acted that night apparently still loved.

And that was what brought her to Lady Tsunade's office. She knew that the boy she'd loved was buried deep within the man he is now. She wanted to help find that lost part of him, but she was afraid that if she did find it that part would hold the name of someone…**_Sakura_**. The fear that Sakura would forever hold that piece of his heart was overwhelming.

And as that fear gnawed at her stomach, she thought of the words Tsunade had just said to her:

_"Give him time, Hinata. There's an old saying, 'time heals all wounds'. Just be there for him, and love him no matter what happens. Be careful not to push or pressure him; he needs to come to the realization all on his own that you mean more to him than Sakura ever did. And when he does, I guarantee that you will hold his heart in the palm of your hand."_

She was so unsure of those words. It would be so wonderful if he loved her as she loved him. Tsunade said he would realize it just by being there for him and giving him time. But how much time did he need? When would it happen, if ever? And what if it never happened? What would she do then? Kami, this line of thinking was driving her mad.

Hinata's thought back to that night a week ago, when this all started. The proposal, and the way Naruto had done it had been her ultimate undoing. Dropping to one knee and showing her the ring had been incredibly romantic, but wearing the coat from his fight with Pain was the most devious. He had known **_exactly_** what it would do to her. Never mind that it worked.

An idea came to her, and a wicked smile suddenly appeared on her face. Maybe it was time to turn the tables on Naruto and make him stammer for once.

She started walking quickly towards the compound. She had a plan and was going to need help to make it happen. She just hoped it worked.

* * *

A/N: Okay, once again to everyone who came from Nube de Cristal's original story, welcome. I hope you liked the new content; I think about 60% of it is new stuff. But hopefully it helps with the back story; I know it will help with where I'm taking it going forward.

**_POLL TIME!_** As many of you know, there's the upcoming wedding between Naruto and Hinata. In the original story, he keeps his mother's name Uzumaki, but I've toyed with the idea of him taking his dad's name Namikaze. When you leave a review, put a small vote in for which one you would like to see and of course most votes wins. Let's see if we can hit over 100 reviews after this chapter!

As I mentioned last chapter, I'm starting a new thing going forward where I recommend another writer's work that provides me with ideas and inspiration. The reason being is that I love giving kudos to other people if I believe their story rocks, and I hope you check it out because they should be acknowledged for what they do.

**_Recommendation time!_** This chapter's recommendation is for author **Xavon Wrentaile**, and his epic story **A Growing Affection**. This is a complete story, but it's packed with 170 chapters of great writing. It's primarily a NaruHina fanfic, but there are other pairings in it that round out the story nicely. It will probably take you a week to read it and it will help fill in the time between FanFiction updates and the manga releases.

As always, remember that the first few chapters will be somewhat repetitive if you are coming from the old story so PLEASE bear with me while I get through them as quick as possible and get to the new stuff. Every chapter will have SOMETHING new; I'm just not sure how much.

That's all for now. Take care and stay safe.

Serious Sam


	5. Ch 4: Explanations and Revelations

**4\. Explanations and Revelations **

**_Submitted for your approval…Chapter 4._**

Once again I need to thank Nube de Cristal for allowing me to adopt this story, as well as being my beta. Another writer offered to help out with the beta process on this, and I would like to anonymously thank him as well and I'm grateful for his help.

Just like last chapter, I want to thank everyone who left me a review. With over 100 reviews, I can say this story is exceeding my expectations very quickly and I'm gratified that I have as many followers as I do. I'm trying to release the chapters as fast as I can, but hopefully everyone can understand that life sometimes gets in the way. There's family, work and the horror of writer's block but the reviews really help. They keep me going and lift my spirits when I just want to give up, and they help with my writing. I read them all and like to personally respond to some of them, even if you didn't like what happened. So please keep them coming, make me feel good about what I'm doing and help me be a better writer. Dattebayo!

So, what's new here? Well, as usual I fixed the dialogue and flow, as well as expanding on the two conversations. I'd say about a third to a half of the chapter is new stuff, but as I promised the additional content should help explain some of the things that happened in the previous two chapters. I will say that the next chapter will have a significant amount of new stuff that will hopefully set everyone up for some original content down the road.

So remember – REVIEWS MAKE THE WORLD GO ROUND! Love getting them, so keep up the good work!

* * *

**_Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto. But is there a chance I could?_**

**_Masashi Kishimoto – You're chances are not good._**

**_Disclaimer – You mean, not good like one in a million?_**

**_Masashi Kishimoto – No, I mean like one in a billion. At least._**

**_Disclaimer – So you're telling me there's a chance. Yeah! (+1 if you get the reference)._**

* * *

Chapter 4 – Explanations and Revelations

Hinata walked into the Hyūga compound swiftly but with purpose. She didn't have much time, and she was going to need help to put her plan into action. As she turned the last corner to her room she almost ran into her sister, Hanabi.

"Nee-san! Where have you been? Naruto will be here soon!"

"I know. I had to see…someone. About some things."

Hanabi smirked. "Were those things about…Naruto?"

"Imōto! I'm not answering that!"

The smirk turned into a full-fledged grin. "That means yes."

Hinata ignored her. While she had been shy and withdrawn, Hanabi had grown up to be more expressive and outspoken. The compound was such an emotionally cold and unforgiving place, and it always surprised her that Hanabi wasn't more like their father with his stern and rigid attitude.

"Another package from Naruto arrived while you were gone." One other personality trait Hanabi possessed was being very nosy, and from her tone of voice she recognized what her sister was hinting at.

She looked at her with piercing eyes. "And?"

Hanabi looked like the cat that ate the canary. "And what?"

"Don't play innocent with me, Hanabi. Your poker face is just as bad as Naruto-kun's. You used your byakugan on the package and peeked at my gift."

Hanabi rolled her eyes. "Ok, fine! I peeked! So what?"

"Because it was addressed to me! **_I_** would like to be surprised when **_I_** open **_MY_** gift from **_MY_** fiancée!"

She faltered a bit before saying, "Umm, well…about that…"

As Hinata opened the door to her room, she noticed the package Hanabi had been talking about was waiting for her on the bed. However, it was clear that _someone_ had opened the gift and then tried to wrap it back up, doing a horrible job in the process. She turned and leveled a disapproving stare at her little sister.

"Okay, I'm sorry! It's just that when I used my byakugan and saw what it was, I just…"

"You just couldn't wait until I got home to open it. Does that sum it up?"

Hanabi suddenly found her feet very interesting. "Yes, it does. I'm sorry, I just…got jealous. I wish I had someone who would buy me gifts like Naruto does for you."

She picked up the box and said, "You will soon enough. Has father told you who your suitor is yet?"

Hanabi suddenly looked a little frightened. "No, he hasn't and that's what scares me. It could be someone really old and ugly that is only interested in the status of being married to a Hyūga." She looked at her sister. "I want to marry for love, Nee-san. Not to 'strengthen the position of the clan' as father so eloquently puts it."

Hinata looked her sister with sadness in her eyes. "Love isn't always part of the equation, Imōto."

"It was with you."

Her thoughts turned to her blond fiancée. "I was lucky. And Neji Nii-san helped too." She opened the box, stunned at what lay inside.

Hanabi squealed, "Isn't it gorgeous?"

Slowly, Hinata lifted a jade necklace out of the box and stared at it. She walked over to the vanity and held it around her throat.

"That must have cost Naruto a fortune."

Hinata frowned. "I'm sure it did..."

"You know, gossip has been flying around town that he's squandering your dowry."

"Yes, I know."

"I wish we could just announce to the village that Naruto didn't accept it."

"Why bother? They'd just find something else to talk about behind my back."

Hanabi took the necklace from her, trying it on and looking at herself in the mirror. "You don't deserve to be treated like this. That's why I'm glad you decided to marry Naruto; I know he'll take good care of you and Hikaru." She took the necklace off and placed it back in the box. "By the way, why haven't you used anything that he sent you?"

Hinata smiled. "Funny you should say that. I've been thinking quite a bit lately about the night Naruto-kun proposed to me."

"Thinking about what, specifically? The stuttering? The fainting? Him rendering you speechless?"

Hinata looked hard at her sister. "All of it Imōto, thank you very much. I may have originally thought that Naruto-kun had no idea about the emotions he brought out in me, but the more I think about it the more certain I am that he knew _EXACTLY_ what he was doing. He's far more cunning than I remember."

Her look became devious. "But I think it's time for a little payback. I want to see if I can have the same effect on him that he does on me."

Suddenly Hanabi's face lit up with understanding. She went to the door and stuck her head out. "Yui! Can you please come help us out?"

The servant, Yui appeared within a few seconds. "Yes, Lady Hanabi?" replied the middle-aged maid.

"Lady Hinata needs help dressing for her meeting with Naruto. We need to make sure we use everything that he's bought for her and that when he sees her, he's rendered speechless by her beauty." She cocked an eyebrow. "Think we can make that happen?"

Yui immediately understood, and grinned in response. "Let's get started, Lady Hinata!"

* * *

Naruto walked down the street towards the Hyūga compound. It had become a daily ritual to have tea with Hinata in the afternoon; he didn't know why but being in her presence provided him with a greater sense of inner peace than his morning meditation sessions ever did.

Irony was a cruel mistress sometimes; he had joined the Mienai Segi all those years ago because the pain had become unbearable and he wanted to forget the cause of it. It seemed the surest way to put an end to his life, however instead of the death he longed for he became far stronger. He'd accepted more missions, thinking that would be enough to kill him...but they quickly became much too easy. The pain he'd longed to forget grew worse from the horrors he'd seen and he couldn't remember the last time he'd gotten a good night's sleep. When he closed his eyes, the memories of the atrocities he'd witnessed came to him in the form of horrific nightmares and more often than not, he woke up drenched in sweat and shaking uncontrollably.

Now he wanted to forget everything he'd done and seen. Wipe the memories from his mind and go back to the beginning. But he knew that was impossible at this point.

He'd had plenty of time to think about his decision to agree to marry Hinata over the past few days, and especially about the night he had proposed to her. He'd been desperate to make sure that she was so overwhelmed by the moment that she couldn't possibly say no. He'd used everything he could think of to his advantage; the coat and getting down on one knee were icing on the cake. And even though he had originally felt proud about what he did it quickly turned to guilt when he came to the conclusion that she deserved better than his calculating and cunning performance. She deserved truth and honesty.

And the truth of the matter was that he needed her in his life. She possessed an air of innocence and beauty that soothed his subconscious and calmed his soul. The overwhelming desire to protect her at all costs was something he hadn't come to terms with yet.

An image of his indigo-haired fiancée appeared in his mind. He wondered why he had this constant desire to protect her. Was it because she seemed so frail? No, he knew she had strength both inside and out. Was it because she was so beautiful? Maybe, but that couldn't be the only reason. It _shouldn't_ be the only reason. Maybe it was because of…

Memories from his life had come back, more often than not lately. But while before it had been of horrors and atrocities he'd seen, they were now of Hinata and when she'd been there for him. She'd watched him when they were in the academy together, protected him when he'd fought Pain…and confessed her love for him.

There were other memories, but that was the one that stung the most. After she defended him against Pain, almost dying in the process he'd never had the courage to face her and talk about it. Not even once did he have the guts to sit and analyze the magnitude of her confession. He'd foolishly continued to chase after Sakura, failing to appreciate what was always within his reach. She had loved him once and he'd ruined it, hurting her terribly in the process.

He knew what that pain felt like; it was so powerful that it had driven him to find his death. It had driven Hinata into the arms of another man, looking for the comfort she'd wanted from him and he selfishly never gave to her. She had borne this man's child, and he had left her – causing her more pain and suffering. In a way, he was responsible for that as well because of his inaction all those years ago.

And maybe that was where the need to protect her came from. It was the need to protect her from another heartbreak, and the desire to love her now like she had loved him all those years ago. Even if he had to share that love with Hikaru's father…whoever it was.

Now he was at a crossroads in his life. Hinata deserved the truth, and he needed to tell her of his association with the Mienai Segi. He couldn't hide it forever because sooner or later she would see the marks on his arms and ask about them, but he was afraid that if he told her she would decide not to marry him and call off the engagement. That one singular fear was overwhelming, because he didn't know if he wanted to go on without her in his life.

He was halfway inside the Hyūga compound when he abruptly stopped. He'd heard someone training intensely not far from him, and it sounded like they weren't using the Gentle Fist style. Interested, he walked over to where the noise was coming from.

It turned out to be Hikaru in a clearing surrounded by trees. Naruto watched him silently as he used a wooden training dummy to practice his blocks and striking techniques. He hadn't really had an opportunity to talk with Hikaru since announcing the engagement to his mother. He'd thought he was about seven or eight years old, and Hinata had confirmed that. In the sunlight, his tousled red hair reminded him of an out of control fire, and Hinata had told him his eyes were gray and changed color according to his mood.

Seeing him now, he had to admit the boy had innate abilities and used skills far beyond what was normal for his age. It was apparent that he had great potential.

Hikaru was bent over at the waist with his hands on his knees, breathing heavily from the effort he'd made. Without turning around, he said "How long are you gonna stand there watching?"

Naruto chose to ignore the somewhat hostile tone of the boy. "You're very good."

Hikaru glared at him. "I don't need you to tell me."

The blond smiled inwardly. So, the redhead wanted to let him know where he stood with him. "I agree. However, others must recognize your abilities just as you recognize them in yourself."

Hikaru continued with his hostile tone after a tense moment of silence. "You're not my father, and you never will be."

And there it was. Somehow he'd thought this would happen and he wasn't surprised, considering that Hikaru was very protective of his mother.

"You're absolutely correct. I can never take his place."

"That's right. My mom told me that my dad is the greatest ninja that ever lived and I wanna be just like him."

Naruto looked at him, surprised. Hinata had spoken to her son about his father.

"And my mom loves him. She's told me so."

That information was like a slap in his face. "I'm quite sure of that."

The redhead was looking at him defiantly. He had to be very careful with his next words; he was positive that they would decide what kind of relationship he would have with Hikaru going forward.

He tried letting the boy know he sympathized with him. "I never grew up with a father, either."

This seemed to spark an interest in Hikaru and his gaze softened a bit. "Never?"

"He died the day I was born. My mother, too."

His aggressive stance almost disappeared. "Who took care of you?"

"Nobody. No one wanted to, so I took care of myself."

He saw Hikaru's gaze turn sad with empathy and waited patiently for him to ask the question he knew was coming.

"Wasn't it hard? Weren't you afraid? Of being alone like that?"

"It was very hard, and there were many times I was afraid. However, I tried to ignore it and look forward to my dream, hoping things would change in the future."

"What was your dream?"

"I always wanted to be Hokage." Naruto smiled, remembering the words Itachi had told him long ago. "Someone once told me, 'It's not the one who becomes Hokage that will be acknowledged by everyone, it's the one who is acknowledged by everyone who becomes Hokage.' Hopefully that still holds true."

Hikaru looked at him questioningly. "He sounds like a very smart man. What happened to him?"

"He died."

His eyes turned sad. "I'm sorry." Then his gray eyes lit up. "Mom told me that you still want to be Hokage. She said you'd be really good at it."

"Really? She said that?"

"Yes. She said you're honest, fair and you always try to see the positive in every situation." And, he added in a conspiratorial tone, "She also said you helped Uncle Neji to change his views on his fate and after that, he treated Mom much better. I can see how much he cares about her and how he's always protecting her. But now I know that you were the one that helped him be a better person."

Embarrassed, Naruto placed a hand to the back of his neck, "Well, your uncle is a very smart man. I'd like to think that sooner or later he would have changed on his own."

Hikaru looked him straight in the eyes. "Mom also told me that your nindō is that you never go back on your word. Is that true?"

"Yes, it is. I never go back on a promise."

A heavy silence fell upon them both. Hikaru put his hands in his pockets while shuffling his feet.

"I'm sorry about what I said before. I didn't mean to be so angry with you."

Naruto smiled. He knelt down in front of Hikaru and replied, "Apology accepted. How about we make a deal? I know I'll never take your father's place; he's the only one who can do that. But I'll take care of you and your mother and always protect you both. I'll be there for you if you need anything, and you'll have my full support and encouragement in whatever you do." He extended his hand. "This is my promise of a lifetime to you. Deal?"

For several seconds Hikaru stared at the hand silently, stunned at the offer that being presented to him. He wasn't stupid; he knew that he and his mother were spurned by the entire village because he didn't have a father. His classmates teased him constantly, sometimes calling him offensive names. So when his mother had given him the news of her engagement to Naruto, Hikaru refused to believe it was real out of fear of being disappointed.

He wanted to be accepted by everyone, and he wanted a father more than anything. Now Naruto was making the promise of a lifetime to him, and he'd just told him that he never goes back on a promise.

The blond was shocked when Hikaru didn't take his hand, but instead jumped on him and hugged him. He returned the hug, feeling the boy's body shaking with joy and he came to the conclusion that he didn't need blood ties to Hikaru in order to feel kinship with him. He vowed that he would protect him always, even if his life depended on it.

* * *

"Here he comes!"

Hinata couldn't help feeling nervous at her sister's exclamation.

"I can't wait to see his reaction when he sees you."

Hinata stood next to her sister in the courtyard at the end of the path. Looking up, she inhaled sharply when she saw Naruto coming down the road...with Hikaru on his shoulders. Naruto was smiling while Hikaru was grinning from ear to ear, laughing happily and enjoying the ride. Time seemed to slow down as she watched them intently. Something warm was growing within her; a new desire, a new longing filling her heart…

Hanabi looked at her sister and noticed the change. Puzzled, she turned her eyes toward Hinata's line of sight watching the scene unfold. _Something's happening_, she thought to herself. _But what?_

"What are you both watching?"

Startled, both sisters jumped in surprise and turned to look at their cousin.

"N...Nothing." Hinata stammered.

Neji narrowed his eyes, looking down the path and saw Naruto coming with Hikaru. He could sense there was something going on here but was unable to place exactly what it was. Once again he turned his eyes back to Hinata, staring at her pearly eyes and trying to see just what she was hiding from him.

The situation was becoming uncomfortable for Hanabi. Neji was looking at Hinata with a very piercing stare, and her sister was more pale than usual. Hanabi glanced between the two and asked, "What's going on here?"

Neither Hinata or Neji said anything. They continued to stare at each other, waiting for someone to break down under the intense pressure of their gaze.

Naruto finally made it to the end of the path with Hikaru, which was a relief to Hanabi. She jumped at the opportunity to relieve the tension in the air between her sister and Neji.

"Naruto-kun!" Hanabi exclaimed, smiling. "I'm so happy to see you!"

But Naruto couldn't hear her. He lowered Hikaru from his shoulders and set him on the ground, still mesmerized by the vision that stood before him.

He swallowed hard and asked, "Hinata?"

"Hello, Naruto-kun."

He blinked, not believing what he saw. He'd always known Hinata had a unique beauty, but that paled in comparison to what was before him now. And right now, she seemed like the most beautiful creature in the whole universe. He was finding it difficult to concentrate, as his body fought to suppress the emotions that she was bringing forth in him.

She was wearing one of the kimonos he had given her, and it hugged her figure suggestively. The jade necklace he had sent her today adorned her neck, and her black hair was done up in an elaborate hairstyle, held in place by a pair of pearl combs which he also had sent her.

Neji smiled at the scene while taking Hikaru's hand in his own and motioning for Hanabi to follow him.

"Hinata..." He raised his hands and dropped them again at his sides. Her name was all he could say since rational thought appeared beyond his ability at the moment.

"Yes, Naruto-kun?"

He didn't say anything. He _couldn't_ say anything. He just stared at her.

She couldn't help but smile, knowing he'd been rendered speechless. _Check and mate, Naruto-Kun. S_he thought to herself. "The tea is ready to be served as usual." She turned around to walk toward the sunroom where her family always took their afternoon tea when he suddenly stopped her, grabbing her arm and turning her around.

As their eyes met, she was shocked by the hunger of his gaze. Never in her wildest dreams did she think herself capable of driving a man to the unbridled passion she saw before her and she was suddenly very aware of herself, as his blue eyes seemed to devour her.

Naruto, for his part had lost the ability to think clearly. He didn't know what was happening, but whatever it was he was close to losing control as he tried to suppress the urge to take her then and there. The kimono she was wearing couldn't hide the delicate curves of her body, as his hand rose up to lovingly caress her chin before traveling along her cheek and finally settling on the nape of her neck, gently but firmly grasping it. She trembled and tried to flee but he stopped her.

She tensed, scared at what she had created. His blue eyes had changed to dark cobalt, and he looked at her like trapped prey. Her breathing quickened and her mouth suddenly felt dry. She licked her lips; and that gesture was almost Naruto's undoing as she felt his body shiver with anticipation and she moaned with fear...or was it excitement? Her heart was threatening to burst through her chest, and it demanded something to quell the raging desire within her.

He pulled her close to his body, unable to contain himself as he grazed his nose on the soft skin of her cheek, inhaling her sweet scent of lavender and cinnamon. His lips traveled down to meet hers and lightly brushed against them before kissing her.

Hinata lost her will to flee in a sea of pleasure, as she pressed herself against him. She never thought she would get to know a thrill like this, and she arched her back and offered him her lips.

He demanded entrance to her delicious mouth and she complied, as his tongue danced with hers expertly. She was struggling not to faint from the sensation because she wanted to continue experiencing what the blond was awakening inside her. Incited by the passion of the kiss, she raised her arms to encircle his neck and he in turn lowered his to her waist.

Naruto was becoming a slave to his primal desires. Mentally he was standing on a cliff, about to fall over the edge and lose himself in what Hinata was offering. Just as he was about to take that last step, an image of Jiraiya popped into his head…

_'He, he, he! This will be great for my research! It's gold, I tell ya! Pure gold!'_

It was like a bucket of cold water had been dumped over him and he realized that if he continued, he wouldn't be able to stop. He respected her far too much to take advantage of her, and he still needed to talk with her about the Mienai Segi. Reluctantly, he parted from her lips and whispered into her ear, "I think it's best if we stop here and have our tea."

That brought her back to reality. "Oh! Okay." And she immediately blushed with shame.

Naruto placed both hands on her face in order to look into her eyes. "Hinata, please don't be embarrassed. It's just that you're so beautiful, that I might…and…and I can't…." The words were in his head, but he was having a hard time actually verbalizing them. Taking a few deep breaths, he fought to calm himself down before Kurama decided to add his own little commentary.

**_What's the matter, kit? Is it bothering you that you're the one stammering like a teenage schoolgirl for a change and not her? Or is it the fact that you can't get the picture of her naked body out of your head?_**

_I do not have a picture of her naked body in my head, perverted fox!_

**_Oh, yeah? How about now?_** And Kurama dug up the memory of Hinata dancing naked by the waterfall from the bikouchu beetle mission. Her silhouette highlighted by the moon, the water glistening off her…

_Damn it, Kurama! Not now! Can't you at least wait until after the wedding?_

**_He heard snickering in his mind. No, I can't. Doing it now is much more fun because I get to watch you struggle against your baser instincts._**

Kurama was enjoying the situation far too much. He needed to get away from the…images in his head and bring the conversation back around to Hinata. He closed his eyes for a moment to focus his thoughts before opening them back up and saying, "Hinata, if we keep going I won't be able to stop. I can't allow that…not now, not like this."

Hinata stared into his eyes, which had now become bright blue. "I...I understand. And thank you...I think..."

He laughed. "I'm not sure what just happened there, but I haven't felt that helpless since I was a kid and couldn't control the Kyuubi." Then a thought came to him and his eyes grew wide. "Wait a minute, Hinata. Did…Did you do that on purpose?"

She smiled sweetly and her face took on an air of innocence. "Would I do that to you, Naruto-kun?"

_His eyes narrowed. Yes, you would. Naruto thought. I'm willing to bet you were getting back at me for the night of the proposal and you knew exactly what you were doing. People think I'm the fox, but from what just happened it's apparent that _**_you_**_ really are. He realized that she could be crafty and devious when she wanted to be, and he made a mental note not to forget that going forward as he reached out and grasped her hand._

They entered the room and his eyes lit up when he saw the tea and pastries Hinata had prepared for them. He waited for her to sit down at the table with her legs beneath her, joining her soon after.

She began to prepare the tea, still blushing slightly at what had transpired only a few minutes ago between them. When she finished serving, he smiled and popped one of the sweets in his mouth.

"I don't know why someone hasn't asked to marry you by now, Hinata. You're not only a wonderful person, but a talented cook as well."

She sat with her hands in her lap. "Thank you, Naruto-kun."

He was reluctant to ask the next question, but he knew they needed to talk about it. "Hinata, I need to know something. How...normal do you want our marriage to be?"

"What do you mean by normal, Naruto-kun?"

"I mean normal, physically. As in...relations."

"Oh!" She blushed red and asked, "Do...Do you want it to be normal?"

"I asked what you want, not what I want."

She grasped her kimono with her hands, wishing she could vocalize her desire. She wanted it to be a normal marriage so badly. "Naruto-kun, why do you ask this? I...I need to know."

He sighed. "I won't deny that I find you attractive. And very beautiful." Her face became a deeper shade of red. "And I very much want it to be normal. But I understand if you don't want to out of respect to Hikaru's father."

Her face came up sharply, not understanding. "Out of respect to Hikaru's father?"

"Yes. Hikaru said you still love him."

"Oh! That..." She didn't think Hikaru would remember; she'd told him a few years ago when he asked about his father. She glanced sideways and said, "I...I want our marriage to be normal."

"You don't have to if..."

This time, she didn't allow him to finish his sentence and with all the courage she could muster said, "But I do. I find you...attractive as well. And very handsome." Her cheeks turned crimson and she looked down again.

He couldn't help smile. Did she really think so? It was hard to think of himself as being particularly attractive, much less handsome. He silently weighed Hinata's words before saying, "You're right, a normal marriage would be best. This way, we can leave behind the past and forget the heartbreak we've both suffered."

The statement was like a dagger in her heart. She cursed herself silently for being so naive; of course he was still thinking about Sakura. Tsunade's words earlier that day said to give him time, but Hinata wasn't sure how long she could hold out. Every word seemed to chip away at her self esteem, and the thought that she would never be as important to Naruto as the pink-haired beauty haunted her.

Naruto didn't miss how Hinata's face turned sad. Had she loved Hikaru's father that much? He revised that thought - she still loved him. He wished the asshole was in front of him right now so he could give him a piece of his mind. How could anyone hurt a person as sweet and kind as Hinata? And why did he have the sudden urge to beat the living shit out of the guy? He couldn't possibly be jealous of what Hinata felt for Hikaru's father...could he?

He gave himself a mental shake. "Hinata, there's something else I have to talk with you about."

Her face came up quickly. She could sense the fear in his voice as he looked at her in silence. "Naruto-kun? Is something wrong?"

"Have you ever heard of the Mienai Segi?"

For several seconds Hinata was silent, confused by his unexpected question. "I once overheard Kiba and Shino talking about it. They think the organization is a myth..."

Her eyes became wide when Naruto rolled up his sleeves to expose his arms and said, "It's not a myth. I was a member of the organization."

Mesmerized, she raised her hand and traced the outline of the tattoo on his left arm. "Strength," she murmured before continuing to his right arm. "Discipline."

He nodded, "The two basic principles of the organization."

Hinata waited, sensing that there was more.

"At first I joined them sure that I would find my death."

She didn't need to know the reason behind that statement. That reason had a name, and it was Sakura Uchiha.

"It's hard for me to admit, but I'm not very proud of choosing the coward's way out." He looked at her with pleading eyes and added, "But hopefully you can understand why, Hinata. I mean, you know me better than anyone, and you also know the pain of having the one you love not return your feelings."

Her eyes became moist with unshed tears. She was very aware of what it felt like to love someone and not get it in return. The love of a particular blond with blue eyes.

"When Sakura..." He stopped, taking a deep breath. He wondered why it still hurt to talk about it. "When she didn't accept my marriage proposal, it was..."

"Painful." She finished for him.

He nodded and continued, "I was going to say devastating but that works too. At first, that was my main reason for joining the organization. But when I began training with them, I discovered there was something very important they could give me."

"What was it?" she asked truly interested in his answer.

His eyes looked lost as he said, "They taught me how to control my emotions. After my last battle with Sasuke in the Valley of the End...Only Sasuke knows what happened and what I did. I can't remember anything at all because I let the anger consume me and..."

Hinata looked at him, her heart threatening to burst. She remembered his trials as a child and heartbreaks as an adult. The urge to tell him that everything would be alright, to reach out and hold him was so strong that it was taking everything she had to remain in place.

He continued after a short silence, "I wanted to tell you this before we got married. It's only fair that you know in case you no longer wanted..."

"NO!" she shouted, feeling her face flushed by her outburst. After a slight pause to control herself, she told him firmly, "No. I know who you are, Naruto-kun. You are a kind, brave and considerate man."

He swallowed hard. "Hinata, you don't know what I've witnessed these past few years. The things I've had to do..."

"I don't care. I want to marry you." And then her face softened, her lips curving up in a sweet smile, "I would be honored to be your wife."

He stared at her, stunned. She truly wanted to marry him. "Thank you, Hinata."

"You don't have to thank me. You've accepted many people for who they are, just as you are with me. Why shouldn't I do the same with you?"

He stood up and walked around the table, taking her hands and pulling her to her feet. His eyes roamed her face as his finger traced the soft outline of her cheek. He was fascinated with her skin. It was so clear, so pale, that she seemed to glow no matter how bright it was. Her eyes were so deep they compelled him to fall into their unknown depths. But above all, he loved her smile the most. It was so full of happiness and joy that it could light up a dark room.

Hinata was a beautiful gift, one he knew he didn't deserve but couldn't let go. A strange shiver shook him, as he realized that without her in his life he would be completely lost. He had been a complete and utter asshole all of those years ago, and he vowed that he would do whatever it took to make it up to her. And in that moment, he swore that he would help her forget the jerk who hurt her and erase every memory she had of the heartless coward.

As he watched her, she closed her eyes, embarrassed at his scrutiny. He smiled at her and said, "I think we've both had enough surprises for one day. Perhaps I should go. Would you walk with me to the entrance?"

She nodded, and he took her hand as they retraced their steps to the front of the compound. Once there, he fought the desire to claim her lips once again and kissed her forehead tenderly instead.

"Thank you for the tea. See you tomorrow, Hinata."

Hinata saw him leave, a little disappointed. She wished he'd kissed her on the lips one more time before he'd left...

* * *

Sakura was hiding in the bushes across the street from the entrance to the Hyūga compound. Coincidentally, she had arrived at the precise moment Naruto and Hinata were saying goodbye to one another. She had to admit they made a lovely couple, despite her initial misgivings about the situation.

"They look great together, don't they?"

Sakura gave a small jump, startled at the voice. Neji had somehow sneaked up behind her, and she hadn't noticed him until he spoke.

"Neji! You scared me." She said innocently.

He stared at her, not buying her act. "Who's the one hiding in the bushes, lurking like a thief?"

She glared at him. "Who do you think you're calling a thief?" she asked aggressively.

He didn't care for her tone of voice. "Why are you here, Sakura-san?"

She noticed his purposeful use of the san suffix. "I need to talk to Hinata..."

"About Hikaru. Am I correct?"

Sakura's face turned pale and she asked, "What about him?"

"Don't worry, Hinata hasn't said anything to me, even though yesterday I once again attempted to have a conversation with her about him. But she continues to remain stubborn and uncooperative. I have a feeling you know why."

Sakura just stared at him, holding her breath.

"But don't make the mistake of thinking I'm as dense as others in this village. I will eventually find out what the two of you are hiding, no matter how long it takes. You can count on it."

A subdued Sakura watched him walk into the compound. Hinata was still out front looking in the direction Naruto had left, fingers still touching her lips. She walked up to the entrance, wishing she could be anywhere else right now but this was a conversation she needed to have.

"Hello, Hinata." She said tentatively.

The ice in her voice was apparent as she answered back. "Sakura."

Sakura flinched at the harshness of her voice. She knew she deserved that, and much more. "Can...Can I talk to you?

"About what, exactly? Do you plan on making more derogatory comments about Naruto-kun?"

"No! No..." She dropped her head and said, "Look, Hinata. I didn't come here to fight. I just...need to talk. Is there someplace private we can go?"

Hinata said nothing and just stood there impassively, arms crossed in front of her.

Sakura looked at her with pleading eyes. "Please, Hinata? Please?"

Even though Hinata still didn't trust her, she appeared to be sincere and decided to give Sakura the benefit of the doubt. "Fine, we can talk in the courtyard. Follow me."

They walked into the compound and sat down in the courtyard. Hinata turned to Sakura and asked, "Okay, we're here. What exactly did you want to say?"

Sakura's lower lip trembled. Her whole body shuddered as she softly said, "I wanted to say...I'm sorry, Hinata. For everything."

And suddenly, Sakura burst into tears. For several seconds, Hinata looked stunned but soon recovered and embraced Sakura, as a wave of sorrow overtook the pink haired girl. The brunette rubbed her back, her body shuddering as she shed her grief. When the sobs began to subside, Hinata pulled her away from her shoulder and asked, "Sakura, you just said you were sorry and I could tell that you were sincere about that. But do you even know what you're sorry about?"

She sniffled and said, "Yes, I do. The last few years I've pretty much been an insufferable ass towards you and everyone else."

Hinata raised an eyebrow. "And what about the discussion we had regarding Naruto-kun?"

Sakura winced. "I'm...I'm sorry about that too. But I think I the jyuuken strike you gave me that night was a bit much."

Hinata was shocked. "A bit much? You've _got_ to be kidding me, Sakura. Allow me to put this in perspective for you. Let's say you came to me before you and Sasuke had gotten married, and I told you that you can't marry him because he doesn't love you. That regardless of how much you loved him, his heart would always belong to someone else…_like Karin_. And I told you this not just once, _but many times over_." Hinata looked fiercely into her eyes. "Imagine how you would feel if I told you that he was only using you to further his position in the village, and that the only real motive _'the teme'_ had for marrying you was to restore his clan and that no matter how hard you tried, he would _never truly love you_." She sat back and crossed her arms in front of her chest again. "Tell me, Sakura - what would you have done to me if I had said those things to you about Sasuke?"

She thought about that for a moment and then looked at Hinata, defeated. "Okay, you're right. If you had done that, I'd have punched you into next week and not thought twice about it. You were justified in what you did."

"Do you really mean that?"

Sakura sighed. "Yes, I do. I admit that I was being selfish. You have the right to live your life and be happy too." Her voice began to waver as rhetorically asked, "Who could be a better husband to you than Naruto?"

Hinata noticed she was about to start crying again. "Sakura, are you okay?"

As the tears began to fall she replied, "No...No, I'm not."

She took Sakura's hands in her own. "What's wrong, Sakura?"

"It's…It's Sasuke ..." She said as her crying eyes watched the fish in the koi pond.

After a few moments of silence, Hinata asked, "What about Sasuke?"

Sakura laughed sarcastically at that statement and then heaved a heavy sigh, wiping the tears from her cheeks. "That's a loaded question. I'm not even sure I can fully answer that." And after a brief pause, "It's just that he's..."

"Sasuke." Hinata finished with a tiny smile.

Sakura's green eyes fell on her. "Yes. Overall, I can't really complain about him. He's thoughtful and considerate, even though he has a peculiar way of showing it. And it's hard to demand anything more from him, knowing what he went through as a child..."

Hinata nodded, understanding the truth behind that statement. But she still couldn't help thinking of Naruto, who lost his entire family, never had anyone to love or take care of him yet somehow turned out so different than Sasuke...

"Most of the time I think everything is fine." Sakura continued. "I know he loves me in his own way, but then there are times..."

"He says things to make you question if he really loves you."

Sakura gave her a wounded look. "You don't know how close to the truth you were before, Hinata. He's just so obsessed with the whole _'restore the Uchiha clan'_ thing!"

"But Sakura, you knew this when you married him. His whole clan was wiped out, so it's only natural..."

"Fine, I can understand that. But for once, I wish he didn't see me as some sort of baby assembly line, spitting out kid after kid. I mean, can you see me surrounded by a dozen or so little Sasuke's? Being stuck in the house, constantly fat and bloated from being pregnant? Dealing with morning sickness and chronic back pain for the next twenty years while he enjoys the perfect excuse of getting out of the house by going on missions?"

Hinata suddenly had a scene of Sakura sitting in the middle of a brood of Uchiha, yelling and screaming at the top of her lungs for them to shut up and give her a few moments of peace and quiet. The image was hilarious and she couldn't help but giggle.

"Hinata! It's not funny!"

"I'm sorry Sakura, but it is." She turned serious again. "Have you tried talking to him yet? About how you feel?"

"I've tried, but the conversation never gets that far. When we talk, all I ever hear him say is..." She adopted the emotionless monotone Sasuke used and said, "_Did you take a pregnancy test yet?_"

"I'm not trying to sound like him, but have you yet?"

She sighed. "No, at least this time I haven't. I'm scared it'll be negative again. The last time it was, we had a horrible argument and screamed back and forth at each other for over an hour."

She hadn't noticed anything different between them when she'd visited the apartment. "How...How long have you guys been like this?"

"Almost a year." She murmured.

"I'm so sorry, Sakura."

"I'm sorry too. Being around Sasuke, I've taken on some of his personality traits, especially being cold and distant to everyone - especially to you, and I apologize. I've tried hiding what's been going on because I'm embarrassed about the whole thing. Failing to be what Sasuke wants, not being able to make him love me..."

"Sakura!" Hinata interrupted her angrily. "That's enough. None of that is true and you know it."

More than anyone, Hinata could easily relate to what Sakura was thinking. She'd wallowed in the depressing feeling of not being 'adequate' enough for her father too many times in the past. No matter how hard she tried, she always found herself begging for scraps of his affection in the end. In some ways, Sasuke and her father were very much alike and the thought filled her with so much anger that if Sasuke were there right now, she'd jyuuken his body into next week.

The giggle from Sakura made her realize she'd said that last part out loud. She felt embarrassed by it but was glad that it made Sakura laugh.

"Sorry about that."

"No, you're right. In some ways he's just like your father." Sakura winked and added, "Maybe getting his ass kicked would remove the stick that he has wedged up there. But since I'm his wife I get to go first."

Hinata smiled. "That sounds fair to me."

Sakura smiled back. "Let's promise not to argue again."

"I know what you mean. I missed these moments between the two of us."

They hugged, and Sakura said "Now, let's forget about me for a while. Tell me, how are things going with you and Naruto?"

"Good. At least I think so..."

"Come on, Hinata. I saw the way he was looking at you when he left. He was eyeing you like a bowl of miso ramen from Ichiraku's."

Hinata grinned evilly. "You should have seen him earlier when he joined me for tea. He couldn't form a coherent sentence."

Sakura smiled. "Good for you! Make _him_ squirm for once." Her look became serious. "I'm guessing you guys have agreed to have a 'normal' marriage."

"Yes, we have." She chewed her lower lip and said, "But I'm not sure...what to do..."

"About what? Oh! You mean…" she said, suddenly understanding what Hinata was trying to say. "Don't worry about that. I'll give you some pointers and if you follow them to the letter, Naruto won't even know what hit him. I promise he won't notice anything else but you."

"Are you sure?"

"With Naruto? Absolutely, positively one hundred percent sure." Her look softened and she said to Hinata, "You're going to have to tell him."

"I know! I know…" Hinata put her head in her hands and said in a frightened voice, "You have no idea how many times I've thought of how to tell him about it. And in every one of those scenarios, I see his blue eyes staring back at me with hatred, leaving me broken and alone. If that ever happened, Sakura…I couldn't stand it."

"Hinata, after what I just saw at the front gate there's one thing I can say for certain…Naruto could never hate you. He might get angry with you, sure. But I'm positive that he would never hate you."

After a few seconds of silence, Sakura said "However, I certainly know who he **_would_** hate..."

* * *

A/N: Okay, once again to everyone who came from Nube de Cristal's original story, welcome. I hope you like what I'm doing with the story and the new content I'm adding. Hopefully it's helping keep things fresh and expanding the back story; I know it will help with where I'm taking it going forward.

**_POLL RESULTS!_** As many of you know, I tried to do a poll last chapter about which name Naruto should take at the upcoming wedding between him and Hinata. Since this is my first fanfic, I completely forgot that you could do polls in my profile and a reader mentioned it to me in a PM. By the time I got it set up, most everyone had either left their ballot in the review or sent me a PM on it. And to make matters worse, I didn't even add another obvious choice, which was to use both (Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze). I will say, though that I've tallied the votes so far and as of right now there's a tie between Namikaze and Uzumaki Namikaze.

I don't have a story recommendation for this chapter, as all of the new content came straight from me. I do have one already for next chapter, so stay tuned.

As always, remember that the first few chapters will be somewhat repetitive if you are coming from the old story so PLEASE bear with me while I get through them as quick as possible and get to the new stuff. Every chapter will have SOMETHING new; I'm just not sure how much.

That's all for now. Take care and stay safe.

Serious Sam


	6. Ch 5: The End of the Longest Day

**5\. The End of the Longest Day **

**_It's amazing, It's colossal, It's…Chapter 5!_**

Okay, standard thanks once again to Nube de Cristal for allowing me to adopt this story, as well as to my anonymous beta for his help and support.

Even though I fixed quite a bit of dialogue and flow last chapter, there still wasn't a lot of new content. I will say to all my readers that we are about 3 chapters out from all new stuff. I need to get through the wedding first, and that will be the next few chapters – it originally was just one chapter, but I'm adding a bunch of stuff so it will be at least two chapters long when I'm done with the rewrite.

As always, I want to thank everyone who left me a review. I've officially hit the 140 mark with those, and I'm loving the roller coaster ride I'm on writing this story. Hopefully, I'm getting better at this and my writing is improving and as I said before, this story is exceeding my expectations very quickly and I'm gratified that I have as many followers as I do.

So, what's new here? Well, as usual I fixed the dialogue and flow. I kept two of the ideas from the original story but expanded on them, and added some all new stuff at the end. I'd say about 60% or more is all new stuff here, and as usual I'm hoping not only does the additional content help things out, that the new content sets up for some deep plot lines. I will say that the next chapter will have a significant amount of new stuff that will hopefully set everyone up for some original content down the road.

So remember – REVIEWS MAKE THE WORLD GO ROUND! I received about 30 for the last chapter, but let's see if we can get more for this one. Love getting them, so keep up the good work!

**_Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto, but I love writing this story!_**

**_Masashi Kishimoto – Before you write the next chapter, there is something you should know. I am your fathers, brothers, nephews, cousins former roommate._**

**_Disclaimer – What does that make us?_**

**_Masashi Kishimoto – ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! (+1 if you get the reference)._**

* * *

Chapter 5 – The End of The Longest Day

Naruto walked along the streets of Konoha, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts. The conversation with Hinata had been…refreshing and enlightening, to say the least. He had gone to see her today fearing rejection, and had come out with acceptance – not just from Hinata, but from Hikaru as well. It had lifted his spirits tremendously, and he was beginning to believe that he would finally find the happiness in his life that had eluded him for so long.

His thoughts were interrupted by a loud growl from his stomach. When he'd seen Hinata at the compound, the first thought that entered his mind had nothing to do with tea or sweets – not that he was complaining, of course. Then he'd become distracted by the subject matter regarding a 'normal' marriage, and finally the conversation about the Mienai Segi. Between all of that, he'd had one cup of tea and one of the sweets that she'd prepared. He needed food, badly.

His first thought was definitely Ichiraku ramen. He'd missed old man Teuchi's cooking during his time away from the village, but before he could head out in the direction of the tiny restaurant, he heard someone shout…

"Hey, Naruto! Is that you?"

He turned around, and coming towards him were Kiba, holding the hand of someone he assumed was his girlfriend, and Shino. Despite the fact that they were taller and more muscular, both looked exactly the same as he remembered them.

"Hey Kiba, Shino. Nice to see you guys. How have you been?"

"Are you kidding? After eight years of not seeing you, 'how have you been' is all we're going to get?" And Kiba pulled him into a hug, slapping him on the back. "It's real good to see you, big guy. You've been away far too long." He turned and said, "Naruto, this is my girlfriend Mina. Mina, I'd like you to meet one of my best friends, Naruto Uzumaki."

Mina looked at him and her eyes grew wide. "Naruto Uzumaki? The hero of the Leaf Village?"

Naruto rubbed his hand on the back of his neck, slightly embarrassed but thinking about Kakashi's words earlier that day. Nice to know that there were still people who remembered what he'd done, after all. "Yes, that's me. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mina." He turned, nodding his head and said, "Nice to see you too, Shino."

"And you as well, Naruto."

_Still a smooth talker, aren't you Shino?_ He turned back to Kiba. "Where's Akamaru? You guys are usually together everywhere you go."

"He's home resting right now. He got injured during our mission, so while Hana is treating his wounds, I gave him the night off."

Naruto nodded in agreement and asked, "So, what brings the three of you out this way?"

Kiba said, "Well, since we just got back in town Shino and I decided to get some dinner with Mina." At that point, Naruto's stomach growled again. "Wow, if Akamaru were here I'd swear that was him I just heard. You must be starving." His face brightened up. "Hey, why don't you join us? We're heading to Akimichi Barbecue and everyone else is meeting us there. We can catch up on things."

Naruto thought briefly about the offer. It would be nice to see everyone again, and he'd been looking for an opportunity to reunite with his classmates anyway.

He smiled and said, "That sounds good. Lead the way."

* * *

Everyone was waiting for them in a private booth at the restaurant. When Naruto walked up, they all shouted with joy at seeing their friend again. Choji gave him a big bear hug, while Ino and Tenten were more reserved, each giving him a small hug and a kiss on the cheek. The biggest surprise however was the last person of the group to hug him who he didn't recognize, until...

"Naruto, it is good to see you! I am glad that the rumors of your flames of youth being extinguished are untrue!"

"Bushy brow? Is that you?"

Just as he'd remembered, Lee gave the 'nice guy' pose with a thumbs up. "Yes it is, and even though I may look different, I assure you that I am still the same splendid ninja as before! Yosh!"

Looked different? That was an understatement. Gone was the green jumpsuit, replaced by black pants and a sleeveless top trimmed in red. His trademark bowl haircut was gone too, cut shorter and styled different. Someone had even trimmed his eyebrows so that they looked completely normal. Naruto was pretty sure the one to blame was the girl he'd been sitting next to. "And I'm guessing this person with you is responsible for your makeover?"

His eyes grew wide and Rock Lee said, "Sorry, I have been negligent with introductions. Naruto, this is Arekusu, my girlfriend. Arekusu, this is my good friend Naruto."

Arekusu bowed slightly in her seat. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

He bowed in return. "And you as well, Arekusu. It appears that you've been a positive influence on Lee, as I've never seen him more...youthful than he is now."

She blushed and thanked him. Lee returned to his seat beside her, and Naruto joined them in the booth. He looked around and saw there were a few missing faces. He knew Neji and Hinata were still at the Hyūga compound, but where were the rest? "Sasuke and Sakura aren't here. And where's Shikamaru?"

Ino answered, "Shikamaru is in Suna on a mission. We're not really sure about Sasuke. He usually doesn't join us because he's off training, and we don't see Sakura because she keeps to herself a lot."

"That pretty much sounds like Sasuke. Well, it would be nice to see them both as well. I haven't had a chance to talk with him since returning to the village, so let's see if I can find out where they both are." He closed his eyes and became very still...

Arekusu whispered, "What's he doing?"

Lee whispered back, "Naruto is also a sage and when he gathers nature energy, he can sense others in the village, even over a great distance. He's looking for the chakra patterns of Sasuke and Sakura."

As they watched, the area around Naruto's eyes turned reddish-orange, and when he opened them everyone saw that his irises were yellow with horizontal pupils. He looked up at the roof, expanding his awareness and said, "Okay…where are you guys?"

If he had been paying attention, he would have noticed that with the sole exception of Lee, the look of everyone at the table had changed. They were all shocked, and Ino and Mina had eyes as big as plates. They quickly glanced at each other, as it was clear they had all felt the same thing but quietly thought it would be best to wait until after Naruto left to talk about it.

"Okay, you guys were right. Sasuke is at training ground seven. And Sakura…" Naruto suddenly stopped, his face becoming emotionless.

Tenten spoke up. "Don't leave us hanging, Naruto. Where's Sakura? Can you sense her?"

He looked back down at everyone, his eyes becoming their usual blue as he released his sage mode. "Sakura is…indisposed at the moment. So I guess neither one will be joining us after all."

That was a lie, and everyone at the table knew it by the tone of his voice. Most of them knew the history between Naruto and Sakura, and even though eight years had passed they were all pretty sure it was still a sensitive subject in many ways. The look on his face made it clear that he wasn't going to discuss whatever he discovered any further, and they all silently decided to drop the subject.

Ino broke the silence. "Ok, no problem. Let's get dinner and catch up on things while we wait for the food."

They ordered their meals and Naruto shocked his classmates by ordering Japanese style grilled beef, prompting them to laugh and ask who he was and what did he do with their friend. Naruto explained that during his time away from the village, he came to grips with the fact that even though his affinity for ramen bordered on obsessive, he needed to learn to eat other things because if he ever got married, he was sure that his wife wouldn't make him ramen every day of the week, no matter how much he begged.

Kiba snapped his fingers and exclaimed, "Yeah, that's right! We all heard you're marrying Hinata." His face became serious and he asked his friend, "Are you sure you wanna do that?"

"Excuse me?"

Kiba continued, "Well, you might be okay with that but I wouldn't do it. I mean, Hinata is just so…weak. Have you ever seen her in a fight? It's clear she's the weakest link on our team."

Naruto looked at him, confused. Why the sudden turnaround in personality? "Weakest link? Are you joking, Kiba? You're her teammate. You should know Hinata is strong, both inside and out. I'm shocked that after all these years, you can't see it."

Shino added, "Fine, even if that were true – which I'm not sure that it is – then what about the boy?"

"It's Hikaru and not 'the boy', Shino. I'd appreciate you using his name."

"Hikaru then. He's not yours, you know. Do you really want the responsibility of taking care of someone else's kid?"

His voice was starting to rise. "What difference does it make who his father is? Hikaru deserves to have someone in his life that he can look up to and will care for him. Neither he nor Hinata should have to suffer because Hikaru's REAL father is a coward and decided to ditch them both."

This time Choji decided to add to the conversation. "Well, that's the problem. I mean, we're not idiots Naruto. We all know what the situation is, and the problems you'll assume if you take them both in."

Naruto looked hard at him. "And what situation would that be, Choji?"

"You need to face the facts, Naruto. I'm sure Hinata knew what the consequences would be when she conceived Hikaru, but she ignored them anyway. Her reputation within the village has suffered because of it, and her clan was left with no choice but to disinherit her."

"What's that got to do with anything?"

Now it was Ino's turn. "Well, you always said you wanted to be Hokage. I'm willing to bet that it wouldn't look very good if our future leader married someone who wasn't even wanted by her own clan."

His blood pressure was rising, and fast. Fighting to keep it under control, he stood up and said in an icy tone of voice, "So what you're all saying is that because some jerk decided to avoid any responsibility for Hikaru, that he should be left alienated and alone? And that Hinata has no right to be respected and appreciated for the strong, courageous and wonderful kunoichi she is because she made a small error in judgment in loving the asshole?" He pointed his finger and swept it in front of everyone at the table. "Let there be no doubts about my next statement. I'm marrying Hinata and accepting Hikaru as my son, situation and consequences be damned. Both of them are my precious people, and I've made the promise of a lifetime to protect and care for them both always."

"But what about your dream of being Hokage?"

"If the village decides to give someone else the job because of it, then fine – they can go fuck themselves for all I care. And if I had to choose between being Hokage and having Hinata and Hikaru as my family, then I choose them and the people who run this village can kiss my ass."

Finally, Tenten spoke up. "And that, Naruto was the right answer."

That simple statement stopped him cold. He looked around at everyone sitting in the booth, and noticed they were all smiling at him. His face went from angry to confused and he asked, "What the hell is going on here? Why the sudden change in tone?"

"You're right, Naruto. Hinata deserves far better than she's gotten from the village. She deserves someone who will love and protect not only her, but Hikaru as well. And she deserves to live her own life, free from the oppression of her father and the clan." Tenten grinned from ear to ear. "We just wanted to make sure you were worthy of her, that's all."

He sat back down, confused. "If you wanted to make sure of it, then why didn't you just come right out and ask me in the first place?"

Kiba chimed in, "Look, Naruto…Neji spilled the beans about the chat you had with Hiashi a week ago. He was actually smiling when he told us about how strongly you defended Hinata, and that you made it almost an entire five minutes before pissing him off and leaving."

"By the way, that was my favorite part." Tenten said, winking at him.

Kiba continued, "Anyway, we all know that you're an honest and trustworthy person. But we wanted to see for ourselves how important Hinata and Hikaru really are to you, and now we know." He chuckled and said, "Besides...we couldn't miss the opportunity to irritate you and see the same face Hiashi saw." He stood up, raising his glass and exclaimed, "A toast!"

Everyone else stood up. "A toast!"

Tenten said, "To Naruto and Hinata…may they both find the happiness in each other that they so richly deserve." Her eyes twinkled as she finished, "And here's hoping that she keeps our future Hokage in line."

"Here, here!" They all shouted while clinking their glasses together and drinking.

Naruto looked at everyone and said, "You guys should really seek professional help. I mean it. You're all certifiably insane."

Everyone at the table laughed, dispelling any tension left in the air. Their order arrived soon after, and the conversation quickly turned to catching up on events from the last eight years. With the exception of how Lee and Kiba had met their girlfriends, most of the discussion was about how they had gotten stronger due to their training. They told him that Tsunade had retired mainly because she wanted to open the Shinobi Medical Academy, as well as improve current medical battlefield procedures to ensure that as many ninja as possible made it home alive. Kakashi had been the only logical replacement for the job, since either Naruto couldn't be found or didn't want to be.

When everyone asked what he had been doing for the last eight years, Naruto spoke mostly in general terms, basically telling them he'd been training nonstop and traveling the world, meeting new people and seeing the local sights. Technically, it wasn't a lie since he had done just that while he was part of the Mienai Segi.

After about an hour or so, Naruto stood up and said, "Thanks for the meal, guys. It's been great catching up with you, but it's been a long day and I've only got a week left before the wedding. Hinata and I still have quite a bit to take care of, so I'm going to turn in early and try to get a good night's sleep." He told Mina and Arekusu that it was very nice meeting them, paid his share of the bill and said goodbye to everyone as he left the restaurant.

About a minute after Naruto walked out the door, Ino turned to everyone and asked, "Okay, now that he's gone, who wants to talk about it?"

Lee turned to her and asked, "About what, Ino?"

"About when Naruto went into sage mode." Her eyes grew wide as she continued, "With the exception of Lee who can't sense chakra, I know you all felt the same thing when he did it."

Tenten said, "The air WAS pretty thick with chakra pressure, but it always feels like that when he gathers nature energy." She looked sideways at Ino and asked, "Why?"

Ino looked at everyone with the same frightened look she had earlier. "Okay, both Mina and I may not be the best at it but we can sense chakra levels to some extent. And even though I know the rest of you felt how heavy his chakra pressure was, the two of us are the only ones who can truly understand what was really happening."

Kiba asked, "I'm confused. Did I miss something? What did you feel that we didn't?"

Mina said, "It was power, Kiba-kun. You need to understand that to sensor types like us, the amount of chakra pressure Naruto was giving off was almost suffocating."

Ino almost shouted, "And you know what the funny part is? He was doing it without even trying! I mean, it didn't feel evil or anything but the sensation was like having a small mountain strapped to your back. The pressure was incredible." She shivered and said, "Thank Kami he wasn't emitting any killing intent. He'd have probably put several people in the restaurant in a coma."

"Oh, come on Ino," Choji said. "Yeah, the air WAS really heavy with chakra and it did feel larger than eight years ago, but I'm sure that what you felt was just the result of his 'tenant', so to speak."

Ino shook her head. "No, it wasn't. I can tell the difference between the two and he wasn't using anything from his 'tenant'. The power he was putting out was all his."

There was a moment of silence around the table before Kiba asked, "Ino, if you had to guess…how strong would you say Naruto is?"

Ino looked at everyone and said, "I'm not really sure, Kiba. I do know for certain that he's stronger by far than any of the Akatsuki members we ever faced." She paused before finishing, "And he may be stronger than Madara Uchiha."

* * *

When Naruto left the restaurant, his friends thought he was headed back to his hotel room to turn in early. However, that was a lie because he clearly had a different destination in mind. The truth of the matter was that when he tried sensing the chakra signatures of Sasuke and Sakura earlier, Sasuke was at training ground seven like he'd said but Sakura at the Hyūga compound, _sitting right next to Hinata_.

As far as he was concerned, there were really only two reasons why Sakura would be talking to Hinata. The first dealt with Hikaru, since they both went on that mission and for some odd reason had decided to keep the identity of the father a secret. That little fact still bothered him; they were both protecting someone…but who was it? And better yet, why were they protecting him?

The second reason he could think of was that Sakura was trying to sabotage his marriage to Hinata. He didn't trust her, not after what had happened between them all those years ago in addition to the conversation they had last week. The tone she'd used with him on both occasions made it clear that his happiness wasn't important to her anymore…if it ever was in the first place.

He decided he was going to have it out with Sakura tonight. He took off in the direction of her apartment, intent on making sure she knew that he was done treading lightly around her and being afraid of offending her if he didn't give in to her demands. He wasn't going to let her ruin what he believed was his last chance at happiness. Not if he had anything to say about it.

.

.

Sakura climbed the stairs to her apartment, quite pleased with herself. She and Hinata were close once again, and over the last few hours had resolved their differences and disagreements. She didn't have very many people she could really call friends because of her attitude towards almost everyone over the last few years, however more than anyone else she treasured the relationship she had with Hinata.

She used her keys to unlock the front door to her apartment, but when she opened it a hand gripped her elbow and ushered her inside, quickly closing it.

"Why did you go to see Hinata?"

She berated herself; she had lowered her guard and had been taken by surprise, which could have been a costly mistake. Turning around, the look she received from his icy blue eyes sent a shiver down her spine.

"Hello, Naruto."

If anyone had told her when they were young that Naruto grow up to be the tallest member of the Konoha 12, she would have laughed in their face. However, the last thing she wanted to do right now was laugh as she turned to stare at his imposing 6' 2" frame.

"I asked you a question, Sakura. Why the hell were you at the Hyūga compound after I left?"

His voice was far colder than when he came to see her before. She remembered Hinata's words from that day last week…

_He's changed, Sakura. He's not the same happy kid who saw the good in everything. He's become insensitive and hard hearted._

"I just needed to talk with her, that's all."

"About what, exactly?"

She didn't like the tone of voice he was using with her, and as a result her attitude became defensive and she raised her voice. "We had an argument and I needed to apologize to her. You got a problem with that?"

He looked at her, trying to see if she was lying to him. He wouldn't put it past her; she'd done it to him before to get her way and there was no reason to believe she wouldn't do it again.

He raised an eyebrow and said, "And you conveniently decided to wait and have this 'conversation' with her as you call it until after I had left the compound? I'm not buying it."

She was having a hard time believing that the person in front of her was really Naruto. What happened to the happy young man she used to know? The one who always treated her with caring and kindness?

**_***Flashback***_**

_"I didn't notice anything unusual. He seems the same to me."_

_Hinata scowled and said, "None of you actually knew him like I did. I watched him from the shadows and sidelines as he hid behind a false image, hiding the pain he really felt."_

_Sakura didn't have an answer for that statement and sat there, blank and unresponsive._

_Hinata fought to choke back the tears that were forming in her eyes. "He even told me that love isn't real. That he doesn't believe in love anymore." She looked at Sakura, who sat there unemotional. "What did you do to him?"_

_"Excuse me?"_

_The tears were falling from her eyes. "I'm sure Naruto-kun as seen and done many things over the last eight years that would haunt most people. But that wouldn't explain why he said that." Her eyes bored into Sakura's. "The only explanation is that his heart was broken so severely, that the idea of love existing in his life again is too painful a concept to believe in."_

_Sakura pursed her lips and said, "And?"_

_"And we were together on that mission for almost a year. There was never a time – not once – that we talked about what truly happened. What he meant to you."_

_Sakura scoffed and said, "It doesn't matter anymore. What happened between us is dead and buried."_

**_***End Flashback***_**

Despite what Hinata had told her, she refused to believe it. Had their breakup really changed him that much? It couldn't be entirely her fault…could it?

"Are you calling me a liar, Naruto?"

"If the shoe fits, Sakura-SAN." He intentionally put emphasis on the suffix.

Sakura shouted, "Who the hell do you think you are? How **_dare_** you?" And she swung a chakra enhanced fist, fully intending to punch him through several walls.

His hand effortlessly caught her fist, like it was nothing more than a second thought and she was shocked that he had made it seem as easy as swatting a fly.

"I'm only going to say this once, Sakura. Your days of using me as your personal punching bag, whether it's physical or emotional are over. If you're angry, take it out on someone else but right now I don't give a shit how you feel."

She felt like Naruto had thrown cold water in her face. He had never been this angry at her, and looking at him she could see that he was very tempted to break every bone in her arm right now.

He shoved her fist away from him and said, "I don't trust you at all. You stay the fuck out of my business. And now Hinata is my business."

She was being backed into a corner and didn't like it. Hinata was the only friend she had right now, and she wasn't going to lose that.

"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you but in case you've forgotten, Hinata and I are very good friends. I'm not going to stop talking to her just because you say so."

Naruto slapped his forehead and said sarcastically, "Oh, gee...I completely forgot. You've been best friends for awhile now." His voice lowered and he quietly finished, "Ever since you went on that mission with Hinata."

Sakura turned pale. She knew she was treading in dangerous waters, but refused to back down.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sakura was trying to remain calm and cool, even though she didn't feel that way right now. "You come into my apartment uninvited, and then have the audacity to threaten and insult me after calling me a liar. I should throw your ass out of here."

Naruto glared at Sakura, eager to respond to her latest threat. However, before he could say another word, he received some advice from an unlikely source.

**_Kit, let it go for now._**

_She's pushing my buttons, Kurama...and I know she's doing it on purpose. I need to make sure that..._

**_Naruto._**

He was so stunned that his face in the real world became blank. Kurama had never called him by his real name. Never.

_Kurama? What's going on? Why did you…_

**_I'll explain later, but the best course of action at the moment would be to let this go. I realize this female is responsible for more pain in your life than anyone else, but there are two things to consider here. For now, release your anger and play along like everything is fine._**

Naruto thought about that for a second. Even though he was still wary of the fox, Kurama had used his real name, sounded sincere with his advice and was actually trying to help.

_You promise to explain later, Kurama?_

**_You have my sworn word, Naruto. I promise._**

That's twice he'd called him by his real name. He decided to give Kurama the benefit of the doubt. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. When he opened them again, he adopted the same false smile he used as a child in front of others.

"Sorry about that, Sakura."

She looked at him, shocked by the sudden turnaround in personality. The anger he'd shown her was gone, and his body language had completely changed. _This_ was the Naruto she remembered.

"What the hell just happened?"

He placed a hand at the back of his neck and said, "I apologize. I didn't like the fact that you were talking to Hinata behind my back, and I was afraid you were trying to convince her not to marry me."

Naruto had no idea how close to the truth he was with that statement. But even though that was the cause of her argument with Hinata last week, she decided to play innocent and asked, "Why would I do something like that? You're making it seem like I'm the bad girl of the story here."

"I dunno, maybe I think you still hate me and can't stand me."

"Naruto, I could never hate you." She smiled and said, "You make it very hard for anyone to hate you. Whatever gave you that idea?"

"Maybe it was that conversation we had all those years ago."

She waved her hand to dismiss the thought. "It's been a long time since then. We're older now and I'm sure that we're both past that."

_Bullshit, he thought. You may have everyone else fooled but not me. I have a hunch that there's more going on here, and until I find out what it is I still won't trust you._

"So you do care about Hinata, huh?"

"Yes, very much. I really want to marry her."

Sakura walked up and hugged him. "I'm glad to hear it. You both deserve each other, and I'm sure you'll be very happy together."

"Thank you, Sakura." He withdrew from her hug and said, "I should leave now before Sasuke gets home and starts wondering what I'm doing here."

She slapped him on his arm and said, "He'll be fine. Go home and get some rest."

As he was walking to the door, he stopped and turned around. Smiling once again, he looked at her and said, "By the way, congratulations to you as well."

Her look became puzzled. "What are you talking about?"

"You're pregnant. I'm guessing about one month along, right?"

Her face became shocked. "I'm pregnant? How…how do you know?"

"Your nose is starting to flatten out a bit, and your ankles are beginning to swell. And when I saw you climbing the stairs, you put your hands on your lower back like it was bothering you." As he opened the door and walked out, he said "Congratulate Sasuke for me."

Sakura flopped down on the couch as the door closed behind Naruto. Everything he said had been true, except maybe the nose...it still looked perfect, right?

Suddenly, tears began to fall from her eyes and she smiled. Finally, after all this time she and Sasuke would be parents.

* * *

Naruto entered his hotel room and locked the door. He wasn't lying earlier when he told his friends that it had been a long day. He couldn't remember the last time so much had happened in his life at once.

It had been an informative conversation with Kakashi, to start the day. The apology and his 'session' about Sakura made him feel a little better, and he'd found out some information regarding the mission with Hinata and Sakura. While he didn't know much more about it now than he had prior to the meeting, Kakashi had promised that he wouldn't stop looking for anything that might be helpful in discovering the truth.

Then, he'd had the chance to talk with Hikaru. He knew what the boy was going through; even though Hinata had always been there for him as his mother, a young boy needed a father figure to talk with sometimes. Iruka-sensei had filled that gap for Naruto when he was young, but not in the same way as someone you come home to, someone who cares for your mother as well. When Hikaru had jumped into his arms, he felt like a missing piece of his life had finally been found.

And then, Hinata – who he was firmly convinced had deliberately played his emotions like a fiddle in the Hyūga compound – had shown up looking more beautiful than anyone else he'd ever seen in his life. Even after telling her of his association with the Mienai Segi, she hadn't called off the wedding. She accepted him; no strings attached and told him she wanted a 'normal' marriage between the two of them. He didn't know what he'd done in his life to deserve her, but he thanked Kami for whatever it was.

Running into Kiba and getting the chance to speak with most of his friends had been great. During the conversation, they had intentionally pushed his emotional buttons but he appreciated their loyalty to Hinata. It was nice to know that regardless of what the village said, she still had people who cared about her and wanted her to be happy. Not only that, they felt that he was the one who could provide her with that happiness and even though he didn't need their approval, it felt nice to have it.

Finally, there was Sakura. The one person in this entire Kami damned world who could make him laugh or drive him insane – sometimes both at once. He'd gone there looking to pick a fight, and to tell her to stay the hell away from Hinata. It didn't surprise him at all when she'd refused his demands and informed him that she wouldn't stop talking to her because they were good friends, and he wasn't sure why but her congratulatory words rung hollow in his ears.

It was then that the biggest shock of the day happened. Kurama had not only given him good advice that helped diffuse the situation, but had called him by his real name…twice, which he'd never done before. And he had a feeling that the conversation he was about to have would be the most important one of the entire day.

**_You always want to save the best for last. Isn't that right, kit?_**

_He sighed. Okay, Kurama. You promised to explain later, and you can't get much later than this. Why did you help me?_

**_Join me in your mind, Naruto. There is something I wish to show you, and we'll talk there._**

He placed a pillow on the floor, sat down and assumed the lotus position. Closing his eyes, he entered his mindscape and appeared in front of the cage that held the kyuubi.

Right away, he noticed something was different. The sewers had always been a dark, damp place but water wasn't dripping from the ceiling and didn't cover the floor anymore. Also, it didn't seem as dark as it had been...instead of being pitch black it was charcoal gray, like an overcast sky.

_What's going on? Why have things changed?_

**_Kurama looked at him through the bars of his cage and sighed. Kit, have you ever wondered why your mindscape always appears as it does?_**

_He thought about that for a moment. No, I never really did. I always assumed that it was just supposed to be that way...isn't it?_

**_Not necessarily. Understand that your inner self is a reflection of your outer self. When you're unhappy, your inner self appears as you remember…a dark, damp sewer where water covers the floor and drips from the ceiling. But when you're truly happy, conditions in here improve. You can see the results for yourself._**

He looked around. Things had definitely improved, but the whole inner and outer self thing didn't really seem believable.

_That doesn't make sense, Kurama. I've been coming to this place since I was about twelve years old and you're trying to tell me that I've never been happy before in my life?_

**_You may have had happy thoughts and moments, yes. Such an example would be when you were with Jiraiya; that perverted sage who trained you. However, those memories differ from true emotional happiness._**

_Can you be a little more specific? What do you mean by true emotional happiness?_

**_I'm talking about your chosen mate, Naruto. The indigo haired princess – and to a lesser extent, her offspring – are the reason why the landscape in your mind has changed. They are affecting the reflection of your true self._**

_Naruto paused for a few moments, trying to understand Kurama's last statement. Okay, let me see if I have this straight. So what you're saying is that the area of my mind that holds your cage can change, is that it?_

**_That is correct._**

_And it can't be changed by happy moments or memories, like when Iruka-sensei gave me my hitai-ate. It can only be changed by true emotional happiness, right?_

**_Yes. But it can't come from just anyone; it has to be from your one true mate._**

_You mean, like my true love?_

**_Exactly._**

_Naruto scoffed at that. Oh come on, Kurama. If that's the case, then why didn't my inner self change when I was dating Sakura? Eight years ago, she was my one true love!_

**_Kurama sighed again. If you think about it you'll answer your own question, kit. You may be able to lie to me, but you can't lie to yourself. The pink haired female was not your one true mate. The pain she gave you all those years ago has not diminished and despite her honeyed words, I believe she does not truly care for you and is only concerned with her happiness and the Uchiha that she married._**

He didn't want to believe the truth of that statement, but the more he thought about it the more sense it made – especially after the conversation he'd had with Kakashi. When it came to Naruto, Sakura had usually spoken with her fists first and her mouth second. Her attitude towards him had constantly been cold and indifferent, no matter how much he'd tried to make her happy and even though she wanted to be his friend now, he wasn't sure he was interested in that anymore.

Kurama was right. He didn't know what they had, but whatever it was you couldn't call it true love.

_Did…did you know back then that Sakura wasn't my one true love?_

**_It was apparent when the scenery around here didn't change so yes, I knew._**

So even though his outer self hadn't realized it, his inner self apparently had and that's why nothing had changed in his mind during that time. But if that was true, it meant...

_So you knew from the beginning that Sakura wasn't my one true love? Why didn't you tell me, Kurama? You could have saved me, saved US eight years of horrors and nightmares!_

**_Naruto, ask yourself this question. Even if I had told you…would you have listened?_**

_Naruto was silent for a few minutes as he thought that over, but in the end the answer was painfully obvious. No, I guess not. It's just like I said to Kakashi earlier, I was blind to logic and reason. Even if you had tried, it wouldn't have made a difference because I wasn't listening to anyone else's opinion but my own._

**_I'm glad you realize that now. It makes this conversation that much easier._**

_Thanks. He looked at Kurama again. So Hinata is my one true love? How is that even possible?_

**_I'm not sure, but the change in your mindscape occurred today after you had the conversation with her. Regardless, your mind knows who she is and what you see reflects that._**

He absorbed the immensity of that sentence. Despite his doubts about the situation, it appeared that his inner self knew the truth...he truly loved Hinata. He may have to share that love with Hikaru's father, but the reality was that he loved her more than anyone else in his life.

_A thought came back to him. Does this have anything to do with why you told me to let the situation go earlier? Why you told me to calm down and fake it like I used to?_

**_Yes, it does. As I said, there are two things you need to consider regarding the situation with the pink haired female. First of all, understand that she is one half of the key to the secret surrounding the boy's father. Your answers will be far easier to find if both parties believe you are satisfied with the way things are._**

_Naruto paused. Okay, you got me there. What's the next reason?_

**_Second of all, remember that she can't be trusted. If you show any aggression towards her I'm positive that she will somehow get this information back to your chosen mate, and this will not bode well for you or the landscape that I currently reside in. You should avoid all contact with her, at least for the next week until your 'wedding' as you call it is complete._**

Both reasons were very good advice, actually. Kurama was full of surprises today, and Naruto sensed that he wasn't done shocking him yet.

_And what does this have to do with you? I mean, I'm grateful for the advice, but I'm guessing you weren't doing this for free. You want something, so what is it?_

**_Yes and no. I do want something, but I never said that I expected it to be free. Kurama was silent a few moments. I would like to offer you a deal._**

_Naruto chuckled. Forgive me Kurama, I don't mean to laugh but I know from past experience that your deals are very one sided. Why should I listen to you now?_

**_For the same reason I gave you the advice earlier, Naruto – because your happiness is directly tied to mine. We both know that because of your mate, things have changed in here and that means that for the first time since I was imprisoned inside you, I see an opportunity to improve my...living conditions._**

_Okay, he couldn't argue against that. Fine, you've got my attention. What is it you want?_

_As Kurama told him what he wanted, Naruto raised his eyebrows. That's a tall order Kurama, and frankly you're asking for a hell of a lot, but you said before that you didn't expect what you wanted to be free. So, assuming for the moment that I'll give you what you want, what are you offering me in return?_

**_What I offer is this..._**

Naruto stood in his mindscape, stunned. He hadn't expected Kurama to offer him _THAT_.

_You're positive about this?_

**_Yes Naruto, I am._**

_And you've thought this through? You understand what this means, what you're giving up?_

**_I've thought this through on many occasions since the fourth shinobi war, Naruto. I'm well aware of what this means and I understand the significance of my statement._**

It was an enormous request, and one he couldn't agree to lightly. He needed time to process the information and think about it.

_Kurama, I'll consider your offer. However, I'd like to wait until after the wedding to give you my answer. You know the reasons why._

**_I agree; you must meet that condition first before mine is answered. However, I don't believe you have anything to worry about because she will not abandon you now, just as she did not abandon you then. Kurama smiled, which was an odd sight to see. Return to your world and prepare for the week ahead, there is still much for you to do and you will certainly need your rest._**

Naruto opened his eyes and looked at the clock. 10:45 PM…barely 5 minutes had passed in the real world even though it felt like he'd been in there for an hour.

Sighing, he got up from the pillow to prepare for bed, thinking this had probably been the longest day of his young life so far. Kurama was right when he said that there was much to do in the coming week and that he would need his rest, but he wondered if sleep would come to him and furthermore, would the nightmares return like they always did?

As his head hit the pillow and he drifted off to sleep, the horrors of his subconscious came to haunt him just as he'd expected. They terrorized him as he ran throughout his mind, laughing insanely with serrated teeth and sharp claws, eager to rend the flesh from his ethereal body. However, just as the darkness threatened to overtake him, an image of Hinata appeared in his thoughts and she saw him scared and huddled in a corner, trying to keep the dreams from hurting him.

_Don't be afraid, Naruto-kun. I'm here; everything will be alright. I won't let them hurt you._

She reached out to him, cradling his head as she gathered it to her chest, like a mother comforting her child.

Tears fell from his eyes as he hugged her fiercely, afraid that she might leave. _You promise, Hinata? You promise not to let them hurt me?_

_She stroked his hair, wrapping her arms around him and holding him tight. Yes, Naruto-kun. I'll never let you go, and I promise they'll never hurt you again._

Then she smiled and light radiated forth from her body, pushing the darkness back and banishing it to the farthest corners of his mind. The warmth from her embrace washed over him, as she continued to hold him close and whisper soothing words of comfort to him within his dream. And for the first time in a very long time he slept peacefully, safe in the knowledge that she would protect him, just as he would protect her.

_His indigo haired princess. His one true love._

* * *

A/N: Okay, once again to everyone who came from Nube de Cristal's original story, welcome. I hope you like what I'm doing with the story and the new content I'm adding. Out of all the chapters I've written so far, this was definitely my favorite.

I wanted to add a small part at the end of this story to mention a few things. The first is to address Naruto; I had a reader PM me saying that it seems he's all over the map with his feelings. This is by design, as he has some things to work out. His time away with the Mienai Segi left quite a few unresolved issues and feelings that he has to come to terms with and this will probably continue. Just like the part at the end of this story; it shows that while Naruto may be very powerful and a future Hokage, he can get scared and lonely just like the rest of us. Not only do I think it makes him seem more human, I also think it makes the drama better. But that's just my opinion.

Second, I want my readers to know something…I suck at coming up with character names. I think I'm pretty good with the writing, but when it comes to names I suck. I have a friend I golf with who says, "Saying I suck is an insult to people who suck." He's a real poet, that guy.

I'm mentioning this because there are two characters in this story that I dug up from Deviantart. Kiba's girlfriend Mina is the OC of mattwilson83. He has tons of fantastic work on there and he's a hell of an artist.

The other is Arekusu who is the OC of shock777, and the inspiration for the paragraph I used to explain how Rock Lee looks now came from some of his artwork. If you're curious and want to see what he looks like AFTER the makeover, eliminate the spaces and you should know what to replace the stars with:

shock777. Deviantart . *** / art / To-Match-The -Inside-pt-2-290752718

Recommendation time! Okay, for this chapter I'm giving a shout out to fellow writer **TheGreatHibiki** and his funny, sexy and heartrending story **Fakers!** (ID 6658931). It's a NaruIno pairing and 'sort of' complete, and once again there's no bashing of anyone else. There's a little of everything…drama, humor, romance, lemons…but there's also some parts in the story that flat out made me cry...no joke and I'm not ashamed to admit it (the big emotional piece that got me is chapter 23). And as I mentioned before, I love a good fight scene and a gruesome battle to the death, but I'm also a sucker for romance. This story, and in particular that chapter was the inspiration for the last part in mine with Naruto and his dreams. Read the story, enjoy the work and leave a review. He deserves it.

We're quickly coming to the end of the old stuff and getting to the new stuff so hopefully things will get less repetitive soon. Standard statement once again is that every chapter will have SOMETHING new; I'm just not sure how much.

That's all for now. Take care and stay safe.

Serious Sam


	7. Ch 6: What Just Happened?

**6\. What Just Happened? **

**_Pilot to copilot…Chapter 6 ready for takeoff._**

Okay, standard thanks once again to Nube de Cristal for allowing me to adopt this story, as well as to my anonymous beta for his help and support.

Okay, so quite a bit of new stuff in this chapter and just to remind everyone this will be the LAST one before the wedding. We're getting closer to all new stuff, and I'm trying to get these out as fast as I can but I've basically pushed out 6 chapters in as many weeks. Even if I had an outline to come from, it's still been strenuous and I hope my readers appreciate how hard I've been working on this. There are some additional bits I need to put in the next two chapters (wedding and lemon scene) so hopefully I'll have them out soon.

As always, I want to thank everyone who left me a review. I'm above 180 reviews total, and I'm setting the bar high with this chapter. Out of every chapter I've written, this one was the most difficult one to do by far. As I've mentioned in the past, I'm loving the roller coaster ride I'm on as I write this story and I hope my writing is improving. This story is exceeding my expectations very quickly and I'm gratified that I have as many followers as I do.

So, what's new here? Well, I used some context from the initial chapters but the first two parts are basically all from me. The last part was used from the original story, but there are some things that are different there as well. I'd say about 75% is all new stuff here, and as usual I'm hoping not only does the additional content help things out, that the new content sets up for some deep plot lines.

So remember – REVIEWS MAKE THE WORLD GO ROUND! I received about 35 for the last chapter, and I'm hoping that we can have at least 225 reviews total or more by the time I release the next chapter about the wedding. Love getting them, so keep up the good work!

.

**_Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto, and I'm working hard on writing the next chapter!_**

**_Masashi Kishimoto – Look, you stupid bastard, you can't write! You've got no arms left!_**

**_Disclaimer – Yes, I have._**

**_Masashi Kishimoto – Look!_**

**_Disclaimer – It's just a flesh wound. (+1 if you get the reference)._**

* * *

Chapter 6 – What just happened?

To say that the last week before the wedding was chaotic would be putting it mildly, at the very least. Originally it was supposed to be a small affair, some three hundred guests or so, but as news began to spread around the elemental nations, many friends of the groom requested the honor to attend. Among those asking to be present were the Fire and Sand Daimyo, the other Kage of the five great nations each with their own entourage, Princess Koyuki from the Land of Snow and leaders of various villages that Naruto had helped over the years.

As a result, the number of people basically doubled requiring a change in venue. Hiashi struggled to maintain control of it all, however with guests as important as these he simply couldn't refuse their request to attend and congratulate the Savior of the Shinobi World. The gears in his mind were already turning, trying to figure out how he could potentially turn this opportunity to socialize with some of the most powerful people in the elemental nations into a political advantage for him and his clan.

Despite the insistence of Hiashi to plan every detail of the event down to the last wedding favor, Hinata and Naruto made it very clear that they would have at least _some_ input regarding the ceremony. Naruto knew that this day was mostly for Hinata, so he requested very little for himself and apart from making sure certain guests received an invite, he asked for Iruka-sensei to be his best man along with one other item. During his travels in the west, he noticed that a cake was served to everyone in the hope that it would bring good luck to the happy couple and their guests. At this point, Naruto thought he could use all the help he could get and since his requests were small, Hiashi agreed to them without an argument.

Hinata had her opinions as well, but to everyone's surprise she had planned this event out years ago. Apparently, she had been dreaming of this day since she was very young and it was hard to argue with her since every detail had been so meticulously thought out. As far as she was concerned, this was going to be the only wedding she would ever have, and she wanted to make sure that she never forgot this day.

Even though she really didn't have time to do anything before the wedding, Hinata made sure to spend time with her blond fiancé. Her stress level over the last week had been off the charts, and his presence brought a sense of calm to her life when she felt like things were spinning out of control. And since there was only one more day left, Naruto finally decided to show her the house he'd bought for them at the resort complex.

It was ten in the morning as they walked down a residential street on the outskirts of Konoha, and before she knew it they had stopped in front of a two-story house that was about three thousand square feet. The only proof that this was the house Naruto bought were the symbols on the mail slot as they walked up...those of Hyūga and Uzumaki.

"Naruto-kun, is this...is this the house you bought for us?"

He smiled at her. "Yes, Hinata it is." A key to the front door appeared in her hand. "Here, why don't you go inside first and take a look around? I'll give you a minute and then join you."

Her hand trembled as she took the key and slid it into the lock, opening the door. She walked in, astonished at how large it was inside.

Every room appeared to have vaulted ceilings and crown molding. Immediately to the right of the entrance was a formal dining room, complete with an elaborate chandelier. She walked past a set of stairs with intricately carved handrails that she was sure led to the second floor bedrooms and continued into the great room, which had elevated ceilings and recessed lighting. A huge stone fireplace was on the back wall, and on either side of that were doors that led to an enclosed, screened porch.

She noticed the kitchen off to the right of this, and as she walked into the room her eyes lit up with joy. Naruto apparently had remembered that she loved to cook, and he'd made sure this room would have everything she would ever need.

On one wall was a range top with eight burners and underneath that were two large ovens. There were two sinks, and on the far wall was a large walk-in pantry and commercial grade refrigerator. There were separate areas for food preparation and presentation, as well as a large area for eating breakfast and other meals that weren't suited for a formal dining room setting.

"Do you like it?"

She turned around, startled. He had managed to sneak up behind her; either he was that good or she was so engrossed in what she was seeing that she failed to notice. She thought it was best to make it a little of both.

"I…I love it, Naruto-kun. But this…it's simply too much! I mean, I know I told you to stop buying me such expensive gifts, but this must have cost you…"

He interrupted her. "The cost isn't important. I wanted to give you something in return for what you've given me."

She looked at him, confused. "What **_I've_** given you? I don't understand…you're the one who's been giving **_me_** gifts. I haven't given you anything."

He smiled and said, "Yes you have, and its value can't be measured. You're giving me both you and Hikaru. You're giving me a family." He stepped close and hugged her. "The two of you will make this more than a house…you will make it a _home_."

Hinata was at a loss for words as she hugged him back, her eyes filling with tears. Tomorrow was her wedding, and having Naruto as her husband was more than she could have ever hoped for. And it wasn't the gifts that made her feel this way; it was the little things that he did to show her how much he cared. It didn't matter if it was something as small as holding her hand while they walked together, or how he would sneak up behind her to steal a kiss…he made her life so much more enjoyable that she really couldn't imagine being without him.

Naruto pulled away from her and gently wiped the tears from her cheeks. "What's wrong? Why are you crying?"

She smiled and said, "I'm…I'm just happy, and very grateful. Thank you…thank you so much."

He rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed. "Umm…you're welcome, Hinata. Now come on, I'll show you the rest of the house."

He took her back through the kitchen and past the stairs to the other side of the great room. She gave him a puzzled look and asked, "Naruto-kun, why are we here? Aren't the bedrooms upstairs?"

"The guest bedrooms and Hikaru's room are upstairs, yes. But the main bedroom is through here." He opened the door to the master suite and ushered her through.

"Now, this is the main area but through _that_ door," he pointed to his right, "is a sitting area where you can relax and meditate." He opened the door on the opposite wall and said, "Through this door is the master bathroom. There are separate walk-in closets for each of us and I also had a vanity built for you because I know you like brushing your hair at night. There's also a stand-up shower and a whirlpool tub."

She didn't have time to be shocked because he quickly turned to her and said, "C'mon, let me show you the second floor."

He led her up the stairs and pointed to the right. "There's a bedroom here at the top of the stairs, and another two on the left down this hallway here. At the end of the hallway is a room just for you…Make it into whatever you like." He pointed to the left. "At the end of this walkway is a door that leads to a combination study room and library."

Hinata was awestruck. He'd obviously put quite a bit of thought into the house when he bought it, since the atmosphere was so…cozy and pleasant. It was nothing like the stale atmosphere of the Hyūga compound, where you could literally feel the cold coming from the walls.

Naruto turned and looked deep into her eyes. "Hinata, I want you to do something for me. I want you to personally decorate this place. Choose everything from the furniture and pictures on the wall, down to the color of the paint. I want it to be warm, comforting and inviting – everything that the Hyūga compound isn't. Whatever it takes, I want it to be a reflection of you. I want you to make this _your new home_."

Hinata was surprised; he was basically giving her permission to do whatever she wanted to the house without having to consult him first. However, one of her biggest fears she continued to have over the past week was that she would say or do something to make Naruto change his mind about marrying her. Desperate not to ruin things and unwilling to risk it, she decided that agreeing with him was the best course of action.

"That's okay, Naruto-kun. Whatever you want to do with the house will be fine with me."

He gave her a blank stare. "That's not what I asked for, Hinata. I want _you_ to choose how this place will look, not me."

Something was wrong; why did his demeanor change so suddenly? She was only agreeing with him…

"I understand, but you bought this house so I think you should choose how it looks for both of us."

The conversation was quickly taking a turn for the worse, and he was getting irritated because she clearly didn't understand what he was trying to do. Struggling to stay calm, he squeezed his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose. His next words carried an air of authority, like a parent talking to a child.

"Hinata, I know what you're doing and it needs to stop right now."

Confused, she asked "What…what I'm doing? I don't understand, what are you talking about?"

He opened his eyes and said, "Let me ask you a question. Do you have any idea why I'm doing this? All of this?" He made a sweeping gesture with his hand, but she knew that he was talking about more than just the house.

Still unclear as to what he was talking about, she could only manage to shake her head no.

"It's for **_you_**, Hinata. Everything I've done so far has been for **_you_**."

Hinata softly said, "For…for me?"

He took another deep breath before continuing. "Yes, Hinata…you may not think so, but it is. Were you listening to yourself just now when you were answering me? I basically gave you permission to decorate this house however you wanted, but instead of taking the initiative and accepting the offer you folded inward emotionally. There's something you're afraid of and I'm not sure what it is, but it's so terrifying that rather than risk having an opinion of your own you're just agreeing with whatever I say. That's not a wife, it's a parrot…and if I wanted one of those instead of you, I'd go to the pet store and buy one."

Hinata swallowed hard and stood there, unable to speak. If only she could tell him about the fear that gripped her heart; that he really didn't want to marry her and somehow he would find a way to call off the wedding. She tensed; certain he would say those words any moment…

"Hinata, the Hyūga compound is a cold and unforgiving place where almost everyone has the personality of a cement block, and with the sole exception of Neji and Hanabi I've never seen one single person that treats you with kindness and warmth. Instead, they look at you with ridicule and scorn and despite that, I've never heard you say one bad thing about anyone else in your clan, and that's probably because you're afraid of hurting their feelings."

His inner voice was screaming at him to shut up, but like an idiot he ignored it and kept going. "And now, you're willing to continue the same cycle of submission and humiliation you've lived with your entire life because you're afraid of offending me for some reason." He looked directly into her eyes and said, "I've done all of this because I want you to be free from your father and his 'stick up my ass' personality, and I don't want our future to be a carbon copy of the life you endured with your clan. Your opinions are important to me, and I want you to have the freedom to express yourself without fear. And I want to know that if you ever see me being a jerk or an asshole, you won't be afraid to tell me so, no matter what the circumstances. Understand?"

Her eyes filled with tears and she turned away from him, nodding her head yes. He had just summarized her life in a few sentences, and even though she didn't want to believe it she knew everything he'd said was true. She understood now what he was trying to say; that he wanted her to walk beside him in the marriage and not behind him…but the truth still hurt her deeply.

Naruto could sense that she was on the verge of crying, and he suddenly realized that he'd let his irritation get the best of him. He should have listened to his inner voice and stopped, but he didn't and went too far with the words he used.

"Hinata, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you."

She could tell by the tone of his voice that his apology was sincere, and she quickly turned and threw her arms around him, burying her head in his chest. He hugged her back as she let her emotions out, her tears staining his shirt.

"Please forgive me, Hinata…" He continued to hold her, stroking her back comfortingly. "Please?"

_She moved her face away from his chest and looked into his eyes, wiping the tears from her cheeks. He's just so wonderful, she thought to herself. He's done all of this simply because he wants me to be happy. He cares about my opinions, which is more than anyone else ever has and I love him so much. But I just can't say the words; Lady Tsunade said that he needs to come around on his own. There has to be some way I can tell him how much he means to me…_

Then she had an idea…since she couldn't say the words, perhaps showing him was the answer. She decided to take his advice and be bold and daring for once in her life.

Hinata looked at him with all the love she could muster and said, "Fine, Naruto-kun. I forgive you." And then she smashed her lips against his, giving him the most soul searing, passionate kiss she possibly could while pressing her body tightly against him.

At first, Naruto was taken aback by the kiss considering she was just crying a few moments ago. However, that confusion quickly turned to lust as she forced her tongue into his mouth to dance with his. He wrapped his arms around her, emitting a low growl of pleasure at what was happening as his body started to react in certain ways from the heat of the moment. But just as his primal urges were about to take over, Hinata stopped and pushed him away.

He stood there like a statue, eyes as big as plates and arms held out in front of him, gasping for breath. "Huh? What…what the hell was that all about? What just happened?"

She smiled at him and said, "I…I just wanted to say thank you, Naruto-kun…for everything. But I couldn't say the words, so I thought I'd take your advice and _show_ you how thankful I was." Then she turned her head to the side and blushed a bit. "And I'm sorry, but I had to stop because I think you have…_other_ problems than what just happened to worry about right now."

Naruto was confused until he looked down and noticed the huge bulge in the front of his pants, quickly becoming embarrassed. "Gaah! Get out of my way! I need a cold shower, stat!"

He ran into the nearest bathroom, flinging his clothes off and jumping into the shower. Cranking the water temperature as cold as it would go, he stood there letting it run over him, hoping to get his 'ligament' problem under control.

"I know you did that on purpose, Hinata! I'll get you for this, mark my words!"

However, at the time she wasn't listening to him. She was sitting on the floor, hugging her sides and laughing silently to herself while thinking, _I could get used to this. Maybe being bold and daring isn't such a bad thing after all._

* * *

As the two of them made their way back to the Hyūga compound, Naruto noticed that the villagers were staring at them with varied expressions…some of them were startled, some were amused and a few people blatantly laughed out loud.

When Naruto had jumped in the shower at the new house, it had completely slipped his mind that 'unfurnished' also meant 'no towels'. As a result, he had no way of drying himself off afterwards and was forced to put his clothes back on while he was still dripping wet, in addition to letting his hair dry naturally. Right now his clothes were soaked and his hair looked like an unkempt birds' nest.

Hinata, on the other hand was holding onto Naruto's arm with the happiest grin anyone had ever seen on her face. Since her appearance was still perfect, it was apparent to everyone on the street that whatever had happened, she was the one responsible for it.

As they walked, Hinata could see that Naruto still looked upset and she thought it best to diffuse the situation now, since she wouldn't see him again before the wedding tomorrow.

"Naruto-kun, are you okay?"

"Huh? No, I'm fine." His face continued to stare straight ahead. "Why do you ask?"

She could tell by the tone of his voice that he was lying. "Are you still upset about what happened at the house?"

He sighed and said, "A little, yes. It's just that…look, I let my temper get the best of me today and I said some things that hurt you, and I'm sorry about that. And I appreciate the way you…thanked me, even though I think you did it on purpose…"

"Naruto-kun, I admit that I kissed you that way on purpose, but I really wasn't expecting your…umm, reaction like that. I didn't mean to do that and I'm sorry if I upset you."

He could hear the small amount of panic in her voice. "Hinata, you didn't do anything wrong. I'm the one who said you need to be more outspoken, and you did exactly what I asked you to do. I was just…unprepared for it, that's all. But that doesn't change the fact that you still haven't answered my question."

"Question? What question is that?"

"What are you so afraid of?"

Hinata stopped walking and lowered her eyes to stare at the ground. The fear that gripped her heart kept her thoughts from becoming words; she didn't want to tell him because she was afraid of what he might say.

In a very small voice, she said "I'm…I'm afraid you don't really want to marry me."

"What was that?"

Her voice wavered as she said, "I'm…I'm afraid, Naruto-kun. I keep thinking that you really don't want to marry me, because father forced you into asking for my hand in marriage and that you're looking for a reason, **_any_** reason to call the wedding off."

Naruto was stunned. _That_ was what she was afraid of? The idea that he was looking for a reason not to marry her was utterly ridiculous.

Her lower lip quivered and tears silently fell from her eyes as she continued, "And I'm afraid that even if you do marry me, I'll wake up the next day and find that it's all been an elaborate dream and I'm still alone, carrying the burden of a life in the Hyūga compound with no future before me. That's not a life, it's a life sentence. I'm just so terrified of it all, and I...I can't bear it. I don't know what I would do if any of that happened."

Naruto stepped close and held her, unsure of what to say. Was her life in the Hyūga compound so horrible that her mind was creating imaginary scenarios in order to escape reality? Perhaps he had pushed too hard, too fast with her; in the space of a few short weeks he'd given her everything she ever dreamed of and apparently, she was afraid that it would all be taken away from her. It did sort of make sense when he thought about it, and maybe he needed to let her know that she wasn't alone with how she felt.

"Hinata, please don't cry. I understand what you're going through because I'm just as scared as you are."

She took her face away from his chest and looked into his beautiful blue eyes, not believing what she just heard. "Scared? You're scared too, Naruto-kun? Of...of what?"

He shrugged and said, "Pretty much the same things you are. Like when I proposed to you, for example. That night, I was just…so afraid you'd say no, and that I'd upset you so badly that you wouldn't want to marry me." The look on his face became haunted. "Or that someday, you'll find out all of the things I've done and you'll take the first opportunity to run away, leaving me miserable and alone."

Memories from his childhood came rushing back, and he took a deep breath before continuing. "You know that when I was very young, I had no friends. But what you don't know is that other kids would constantly play with my emotions. They would pretend to be my friend one minute and then run away, mocking and ridiculing me the next. Mentally, that's something you never forget, and you carry it with you for the rest of your life, thinking everyone else will be just like them." The color of his eyes had now turned deep cobalt. "And I'm afraid that's what you'll do, Hinata. That you'll look for an excuse to escape when it's convenient and beneficial, and move on to someone who doesn't carry so much…emotional baggage. And if that happened, I'm not sure I could take it…not now. Not with you."

Hinata was shocked. He was just as afraid as she was, afraid of losing her? Then maybe that meant…no, he hadn't said the words she so desperately wanted to hear. She felt a twinge in her heart because she'd unintentionally hurt him as well.

Mustering her courage, she looked at him with love in her eyes. "Naruto-kun, we've only been engaged for two weeks but in that short amount of time you've done so much for me…I've never had anyone care about me the way that you do, and my life would be empty without you in it."

She struggled to get the next words out. "And even thought I'm afraid that this is all still a dream, tomorrow we're going to be married and to me there is no greater bond than that. It's just as strong and powerful as the one between a mother and her children." She thought of Hikaru, and how she loved him just as much as her blond fiancé. "But believe me when I say that I'll never find an excuse to change my mind about marrying you, and I'll never run away from you, or from us. That's _MY_ promise of a lifetime to you."

_Naruto swallowed the lump in his throat. Maybe Kurama was right in what he said last week, he thought. She said she won't run, like everyone else has. Maybe she _**_will_**_ be there for me now, like she was for me back then. But she still has twenty four hours to change her mind._

They arrived at the front gate to the compound and Hinata said, "I should go. There's still a lot to do before tomorrow, and I need to get a good night's sleep." She kissed him quickly, and even that brief touch made her lips tingle. "I'll see you tomorrow, Naruto-kun." Her eyes twinkled as she added, "Don't be late."

Thinking that was the end of their conversation, she walked down the path to the house. However, before she had gotten too far she heard Naruto say from behind her…

"See you later, Hinata…hime."

Stunned, she paused for a moment before turning around to look back. But by the time she had, he was gone and his words still hung in the air, soothing her fears and easing her doubts. She smiled and reminded herself, _it's the little things he does that show me how much he cares. And it's why I love him so much._

* * *

Around the corner, Naruto thought about what had happened today. He knew there was still so much to do before the wedding tomorrow, so he'd decided to keep it simple and just show Hinata the house. He'd picked out the place because it was so unlike how her current home felt, and he wanted to give her someplace where she could blossom and grow, free from her father and his oppressive attitude. He could only imagine how truly horrible her life at the compound was, and the humiliation she endured these past eight years must have been staggering if she was under the illusion that this might all be a dream.

It surprised him to learn that her fears were similar to his own. He hadn't intended on telling her about his childhood since it wasn't her burden to bear, but when he did she'd made him the promise of a lifetime that no matter what happened in their lives going forward, she would never run away from him or what they have. That was an enormous commitment, and she was giving it to him freely, asking nothing in return. She deserved the same level of dedication from him, so who was he to give anything less?

He came to the conclusion that at midnight tonight, he would perform the ancient ritual. He hoped she accepted what he was offering, because he wouldn't blame her if she didn't.

* * *

Back at the compound, Hinata was walking down the path to meet her father. She needed to go over the final details of the wedding with him and make sure everything was ready for tomorrow, when she would become Naruto's wife. She thought to herself again..._Tomorrow I'll be Naruto's wife._ Even after two weeks, the words still made her giddy with happiness.

As she drew closer to her father's study, her happiness quickly turned to concern as she heard two voices yelling at each other from down the hall…

"…this is the best offer…Lord Isamu in the Land of…" The voice was that of her father.

"Father, you can't possibly…too old! There's no…" And that was the voice of Hanabi. By the tone of her words, something was wrong so she quickened her pace.

"He has offered…no one else has…"

"You can't….don't love…"

As she rounded the last corner, the voices became clearer and Hiashi said, "It doesn't matter if you love him or not. What he's offering is substantial, and it will strengthen the position of the clan as well. You will marry him, Hanabi. End of discussion."

There was a moment of uncomfortable silence, and then the door flew open and Hanabi came out, her eyes in tears as she ran down the hall towards her room. Hiashi came out a few seconds afterwards, his face impassive with his hands clasped behind his back.

"Otousan, what just happened? What did you say to her?"

"What I've said and done is of no consequence, and doesn't concern you. Hanabi will do what she must." He turned and motioned for her to follow him. "Now, let's go over the final details of the ceremony tomorrow. It needs to be perfect, since it will be a reflection of our clan. We can afford nothing less."

And it was in that moment Hinata realized what Naruto had been trying to accomplish, not only today but going forward in their lives. Her father had always been a cold individual, and she had lived under the yoke of his oppression for years because she and Hikaru had nowhere else to go. She was shy and reserved because of the way he treated her, and she was always afraid to tell him what she felt, because he either didn't want her opinion or didn't care what it was. However, the conversation with Naruto today gave her the courage to realize that things needed to change in her life, starting right now.

"No."

He turned and looked at her, cocking an eyebrow. "Excuse me? What did you just say?"

"You heard me, otousan. I said no." Her look became hard and unforgiving. "It's the day before my wedding, and you've said something to upset Hanabi in a very hurtful fashion. I'm not sure what you said to her, but right now she needs me more than you do." She turned and said, "You can finish the preparations and final walkthrough without me, because I guarantee that you don't want me in your company for the rest of the day." And she took off down the hall in search of Hanabi.

Hiashi was appalled that Hinata would talk to him in such a manner. He was sure the Uzumaki and his influence were to blame for her current attitude, and he was glad that after tomorrow the responsibility for them wouldn't be his anymore. As he closed the door behind him, he thought to himself, _Thank Kami once he marries her_, _the clan will be free of the shame my daughter and her illegitimate son have placed on us once and for all_.

* * *

Hinata was walking swiftly down the corridors of the compound in search of Hanabi. There were several places she could have ended up, but she needed to start somewhere and Hanabi's room was just as good a choice as any. As luck would have it, when she walked up to the door Hinata could hear uncontrollable sobbing coming from inside.

She knocked on the door. "Imōto? It's me, can I come in?"

"G...go away, nee-san. I…I don't want to ta…talk to…anyone right now."

Hinata ignored her and walked in anyway. The room was dark, and only by the light of the opened doorway could she see Hanabi, who was sitting in a corner, legs curled up to her chest and crying.

She turned on the light and asked, "Imōto, what's going on? What just happened? Why are you crying like this?"

Hanabi raised her head, and Hinata could see her eyes were red and swollen from crying. Her lower lip quivered as tears ran down her cheeks, and she tried to speak but no words came from her mouth.

Hinata walked over and sat down next to her, and immediately Hanabi threw her arms around her neck, still crying. Hinata rubbed her back to try and calm her down. "Imōto, please tell me what's wrong. What did father just say to you?"

"It's...it's my suitor."

"Father told you who he is?"

She nodded, sniffing and wiping some of the tears from her face. "His name is Isamu. He's a Lord from the Land of Iron."

It took a moment for Hinata to process that statement. "A **_Lord_** from the Land of Iron? Not his son?"

Hanabi nodded.

She got a sinking feeling in her stomach. "How old is he?"

"He's fo...forty-six."

Hinata was appalled; that was more than twice as old as Hanabi was. "What the hell is father thinking? There's no way he could possibly..." Her voice trailed off as a thought popped into her head. "Let me guess. It has something to do with your dowry."

"Yes. Apparently, he's…he's so enamored of me that he has renounced the rights to my dowry and is offering father payment instead."

"How much, Imōto?"

Her eyes became haunted and she said, "Two hundred and fifty thousand Ryo."

Hinata blanched when she heard the number. Whoever this Lord Isamu was, he must want Hanabi very badly to offer such a large amount of money.

"What about Konohamaru? He comes from a well respected and honorable clan, surely..."

Hanabi started to cry again, burying her face in Hinata's shoulder. "Father said their offer wasn't enough, and…and his family can't afford it. They don't have the money to...to..."

There was no need to say anything else. The Sarutobi clan either didn't have the money to outbid the Lord or thought the amount was too high, and therefore the offer from Lord Isamu would stand.

Hinata began to put the puzzle pieces together. "So let me see if I have this right…father accepted a bid for your hand in marriage, and agreed to marry you off to someone over twice your age to – in his eyes, at least – strengthen the clan."

Hanabi could only nod, as she was still silently crying into her sister's shoulder.

"Your happiness isn't a factor; he's motivated by his lust for power and the large sum of money the clan will receive. And he told you this news on the day before my wedding to Naruto-kun, knowing that you would be upset and not bothering to care about the result."

Once again, she nodded.

"And finally, he threw it in your face that Konohamaru won't even be considered as your suitor because his family cannot pay ours enough." Hinata paused before saying, "Does that cover everything?"

"Ye…yes, nee-san. He…he doesn't care! He never cared! He's only interested in himself, and...and Konohamaru…I love him and…"

Hinata tried to get things back under control. "Imōto, please take a deep breath and try to relax. I need you to get a hold of yourself, okay? Please try for me…"

It took several minutes, but she finally got Hanabi to calm down for her.

"Hanabi, please look at me and listen for a moment."

Hanabi raised her tear streaked face and looked at her sister. Hinata could see the fear in her eyes at what she had just been sentenced to by her father…a life devoid of love, relegated to nothing more than breeding stock for a much older man, far away from the only home she'd ever known.

She looked at her sister with determination. "I know things seem hopeless right now, but I promise you I will do everything in my power to help."

"How? You can't help me, no one can! When father makes up his mind, he…"

Hinata forcefully interrupted her. "Hanabi, stop. I don't know what we'll do, but there has to be something. Let's try talking to Neji; Naruto-kun helped him understand a long time ago that fate can be changed, so maybe he can help us change yours." Smiling, she placed her hands on either side of Hanabi's face and said, "We will figure something out. Okay?"

Hanabi sniffed her nose again and nodded. "Ok, nee-san. I'm…I'm sorry about all this. I didn't mean to…"

Hinata stopped her once again. "It's not your fault, so please don't be sorry. The fault for what's happened belongs to father." She looked sideways at Hanabi and said, "Now, do me a favor and blow your nose. And then we will go find Neji and see if anything can be done."

However, the wheels in her mind were turning and every solution she came up with was a dead end. Hanabi was right; their father basically only cared about two things…power and money. If they couldn't find a way to overcome the enormous offer from Lord Isamu, then there was very little hope left for her sister and her future.

* * *

It was close to midnight when Hinata woke. She couldn't shake the feeling that someone had called her name.

"Hinata. Wake up."

She suddenly sat up in bed, clutching the covers to her chest. "Naruto-kun? What…what are you doing here?"

He moved out of the shadows, standing next to her bed with her robe in his hand. "There's someplace we have to go. Right now." He smiled and held up a robe for her to put on. "Please, we don't have much time. We have to be there by midnight."

Confused, she stood up and put her arms through the sleeves of the robe, tying the sash and asking, "Why the rush? And where are we going?"

Smiling, he didn't answer her but instead picked her up bridal style. She let out a tiny "eep!" as he leapt through the window, swiftly running across the rooftops of Konoha. He came to the wall surrounding the village, and pushing chakra into his feet proceeded to run straight up the side.

Her first reaction was to clasp her arms around his neck, as she could now look over his shoulder and straight down at the ground. When he reached the top, he jumped off causing her to bury her head in his shoulder and her grasp to tighten. He landed in the trees outside the wall and began jumping from limb to limb, whatever his destination was still clearly in mind.

She took her head away from his shoulder and said, "My legs work just fine, you know. I can do this myself."

"I know, but I like having you near me."

Hinata blushed. She would never get tired of his constant attention; it was becoming an obsession with her. She liked having him around to make her feel safe and warm.

After a few minutes of silence, she asked him again, "Naruto-kun, where are we going?"

He raised an eyebrow and said, "Do you trust me?"

"Always."

"Then please have faith in me. I promise everything will become clear."

He didn't say another word as they continued through the trees. She brought her head down to rest against his chest, feeling his muscles ripple as he held her close. With everything that had happened today, being in his arms helped soothe her anxiety.

Suddenly he stopped and set her down on her feet. "We're here, Hinata-hime."

She looked around and noticed that they were in a small clearing, with a small fire to provide them with some light and heat. A bedroll lay on the ground at the edge of the darkness.

"Naruto-kun…what is all this?"

He smiled again and said, "It's something very important, and it needs to be done exactly at midnight. That's why we're out here at this hour."

Confused, she saw him bite his thumb and draw blood. _That's strange,_ she thought. _You do that when you perform a summon…_

He looked at her and quietly said, "Now you have to do the same."

She hesitated for a few moments before remembering his words…_Do you trust me?_ Then all doubt was gone and she bit her thumb and…nothing happened. She tried again and got the same result, embarrassed that she couldn't even draw blood when she needed to.

He chuckled and said, "Come over here and let me do it."

He bit her thumb and then placed her hand on the ground with his. As their blood mingled with each other, a symbol appeared on the ground and his chakra pulled hers into the circle.

A wave of dizziness overcame her, as her whole body felt like it was suspended in time and her vision became blurred. She clutched Naruto's arm, terrified of the unknown that was surrounding them.

His arm encircled her waist. "Shhh. Don't be alarmed; everything is fine. We're just being transported. This is perfectly normal when you do a summoning without a contract."

She nodded, trying to remain calm. To her relief, after a few moments everything stabilized. However, even though the fire remained the same it quickly became apparent that they were not in the same place. The area outside of the light of the fire was pitch black and there seemed to be no end to the darkness.

****WHO DISTURBS MY SLUMBER?****

The being that manifested itself before them was a dragon, its scales a golden-copper color. The voice it spoke with carried the portent of vast power and ancient wisdom, one who had watched the ebb and flow of the universe throughout the eons of time.

And right now, it looked very angry.

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze. It is I who have summoned you."

**It narrowed its eyes and looked at him. **INDEED. AND WHO ARE YOU TO MAKE A FORBIDDEN SUMMON?****

"I am the Jinchuuriki of the Nine Tailed Fox. I am the Hero of the Leaf, Savior of the Shinobi World and child of prophecy. I am the next Hokage of Konohagakure."

Hinata looked at him, astounded that he could be so bold. He'd performed a forbidden summon for a creature that looked like he could kill them without a second thought, and he was speaking to it as if he were its equal. It was times like this when she wanted to give him a jyuuken strike to his stomach.

She put her hand to her mouth when the dragon brought his face close to hers, his breath hot upon her skin.

****WHO ARE YOU?****

She froze in place, thinking that if it was the last thing she did, she would get Naruto for dragging her into this mess.

Naruto tried to answer for her. "Her name is…"

The dragon's head snapped around and said, ****SHE CAN ANSWER FOR HERSELF, MORTAL.**** His gaze returned to her face and he repeated, ****WHO ARE YOU?****

Hinata blinked her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. With every bit of courage she could muster, she said, "Hinata Hyūga."

He nodded, satisfied. His head turned back to Naruto. ****YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU HAVE CALLED, DO YOU NOT?****

"I do."

****AND HOW IS IT YOU KNOW OF THIS SUMMON?****

"I am Gabriel of the Mienai Segi."

**The dragon straightened his neck and said, **AH, THE MIENAI SEGI. LATELY THEY HAVE BECOME MORE…****

"Bold?" He said with a hint of sarcasm.

****NO. DISRESPECTFUL AND IMPUDENT.****

Silence filled the air, thick with tension. Hinata was petrified; she was positive she was going to die in whatever place this was. Her thoughts turned to Hikaru, thinking she would never see him again and hoping that Neji and Tenten would care for him as if he were his own.

****YOU KNOW THAT IN ORDER TO COMPLETE THE CEREMONY, SHE MUST BE A NINJA.****

"She is."

**The dragon paused for a few moments and then nodded. **VERY WELL. LET US BEGIN SO THAT I MAY RETURN TO MY SLUMBER.****

Naruto turned to look at Hinata, and saw that she was in a state of shock. He didn't blame her, this was quite a bit to take in and he hoped she would forgive him for what was about to happen. He went to her and took her hands in his, crossing their arms and whispered, "Everything will be fine. I promise."

She didn't answer; and he was unsure afterwards if she ever heard him. They began walking around the fire, and with an imposing voice the dragon began to chant:

**_Two dragons come together, feel the drums together, dance together._**

**_Two dragons dance together, take a chance together, sing together._**

**_Two dragons sing together, take wing together, fly together._**

**_Two dragons fly together, own the sky together, two dragons are as one._**

Hinata was confused about what was taking place. This seemed like a ritual of sorts, but it was unlike anything she had ever seen and it was giving her goosebumps.

**_Above you the stars, below you the stones, and as time doth pass, remember..._**

**_You were born together, and together you shall be forevermore._**

**_You shall be together when the white wings of death scatter your days._**

**_Let there be spaces in your togetherness, and let the winds of the heavens dance between you._**

**_Like a stone your love should be firm, and like a star your love should be constant._**

**_Let the powers of the mind and intellect guide you,_**

**_Let the strength of your wills bind you together,_**

**_And the strength of your dedication make you inseparable._**

Hinata was frightened and shaking, unsure of what was going on. However, when she looked over at Naruto he squeezed her hand, providing her with the confidence she needed to continue.

**_Now you will feel no rain, for each of you will be a shelter to the other._**

**_Now you will feel no cold, for each of you will be warmth to the other._**

**_Now there is no loneliness for you, for each of you will be companion to the other._**

**_Now you are two bodies, but there is only one life before you._**

As the dragon finished the ceremony, Naruto stopped their walk around the fire and placed his hands on either side of her face. His blue eyes captured hers as he brushed his lips against hers and said, "Now you are mine, as I am yours, Hinata-hime."

As he kissed her, the emotions within her awoke yet somehow they seemed stronger, like they had multiplied. The sensations she was experiencing were above and beyond anything she had ever felt before, and it both frightened and excited her with how powerful it was.

****MORTAL.****

Naruto sighed, annoyed at being interrupted from kissing Hinata. "Yes, I remember…your slumber."

****AS A MEMBER OF THE MIENAI SEGI, I ASSUME YOU KNOW HOW TO END THE RITUAL.****

He nodded.

****THEN DO SO AND BEGONE.****

And before they knew it, the summon had vanished and they had been returned to their world. The endless darkness was gone and the forest was back, with the bedroll at the edge of the light of the fire.

Shivering, Hinata turned and said, "When he said 'end the ritual', what exactly did he mean?"

Naruto took her hands and said, "This." His voice was confident as he looked deep into her eyes and said, _"Unanimous Soul."_

As he finished the words, Hinata felt her spirit leave her body as if in some form of a time-space astral projection. However, instead of looking at her own memories, she saw the life of Naruto as the events quickly unfolded one after another…

_…She saw the blond as he was born, and the Yondaime making the seal on him. She felt the overwhelming grief of his decision at having to do this to his newborn son._

_…She saw Naruto at the orphanage, as the other children teased him, leaving him ostracized and alone._

_…The pain in not being acknowledged as simply a human being, and not understanding the reasons behind the harsh treatment he received from everyone._

_…The villagers chasing him during their many 'fox hunts', and him running in fear for his life._

_…She saw him joining the ninja academy, and being a part of team seven. She watched; hurt as most of his attention was devoted to winning the love of Sakura._

_…How he learned of Sasuke's sudden departure, and the despair that followed. She saw his promise to find him and bring him back to both himself and Sakura, no matter what the cost._

_…His training with Jiraiya, who was the closest thing to a father figure he ever had and the man he had affectionately called 'pervy-sage'. Based on the memories she was seeing, it was an apt nickname._

_…The fight with Pain, and her confession on the battlefield. It surprised her how vivid that memory was from the rest, as if it was more important than the others._

And then she realized that if she was seeing all of this, then Naruto must be seeing…

"No. Please, stop this."

_…She saw all of the battles that occurred during the fourth shinobi war. She watched as he saved the world with his actions and words, feeling a sense of pride that this man would be her husband._

_…She saw the horrible battle between him and Sasuke. How he had lost control and almost became the animal that was contained within him._

"NO!" She screamed, willing her subconscious to break the connection. The backlash from that action was so severe that she slid into darkness.

Her mind was still hazy as she woke up. She looked around and noticed she was leaning on his shoulder as they sat next to the fire, the bedroll covering both of them.

He brushed the hair back from her face. "How are you feeling?"

She looked at him and said, "I have a splitting headache, _thank you very much_. And what just happened?"

He smiled at her and said, "I'm sorry about that. I probably should have asked your consent before performing the ceremony."

She said in a small voice, "Yes, you should have." He somehow felt distant, and she wondered if he had seen who Hikaru's father was, since that was the main reason for breaking the bond.

_I apologize._

She turned to face him. He hadn't said the words, but she had somehow _felt_ his apology. Was she imagining things?

He said with a smile, "No, you're not."

"How…how do you know what…"

"What you were feeling? It's part of the seal." He gently lifted her right hand, saying "Push some chakra into the back of your hand."

As she did so, the seal became visible. It was a yin-yang symbol with a six-point zodiac seal around it, but the yang part was missing. Naruto then raised his own hand, and the same symbol appeared but his was missing the yin part.

"What…what is this, Naruto-kun?"

"It's called an amalgamation seal." He sighed and said, "Part of our training with the Mienai Segi was to form a bond with the other members of our team, as this allowed us to know when someone was injured or in danger during our missions. However, this variation shares emotions between a man and a woman; like a marriage ceremony of sorts. It blends and magnifies the spirit and makes sensations much more powerful." He looked sideways at her. "And before you ask, the answer is no – I can't read your mind. We can only perceive each other's feelings."

She stopped sending chakra into her hand and the seal faded. "Why…why did you decide to do this with me?"

His face became thoughtful. "I've been thinking about everything that's happened over the past two weeks. You've given me a family and a chance at happiness. Today, you gave me the promise of a lifetime that no matter what happens, you won't abandon me…or us, without asking for anything in return. And you may not know it, but you've offered me a chance to chase away the nightmares that have haunted me these last eight years."

A warm feeling caressed her soul, and she immediately knew it was from him. Blushing, she let him continue.

"What you've given me is the highest level of commitment, and you deserve no less from me. I made a promise of a lifetime to you and Hikaru to protect you with my life and care for you always, and I intend to honor that until the end." He pointed at his hand. "The bond that this seal provides will allow me to know when something's wrong and if so, I can be there in the blink of an eye."

She looked at him quizzically. "How can you possibly do that?"

He smiled and said, "Well, you wouldn't have any idea since I put it on you the night I proposed and you fainted, but your engagement ring has a Hiraishin seal inscribed on the inside of the band. I can travel instantly to wherever you are if I sense you're in danger."

He watched her look at the ring on her left hand, and a feeling of comfort washed over him. He chuckled and said, "It appears the bond exists, despite not being completed."

"You…you felt that?"

"Yes, I did. I found it rather nice."

She blushed again, but quickly realized that if the bond had been completed…

"Don't worry; I didn't discover who Hikaru's father was. You broke the process before I found out, and it wasn't my intention in the first place to learn who he was."

Did she hear sadness in his voice? Did the fact that he hadn't found out the identity of Hikaru's father cause him pain?

He looked at her and said. "You've had enough excitement for one night…I think it's time to take you home. There are only a few hours left before the wedding, and you'll need your rest for tomorrow…"

…And from the bond that the seal provided, Hinata knew _EXACTLY_ what he meant.

* * *

A/N: Okay, once again to everyone who came from Nube de Cristal's original story, welcome. I hope you like what I'm doing with the story and the new content I'm adding.

As usual, I'm adding a small part here to explain some character development. You probably noticed that there are several parts in here where Hinata starts to come out of her shell a bit, and that's what I wanted. I love how she's shy and reserved but I also think it would be good for her – and the story going forward – if there are times she's more expressive. It won't be all the time, though so don't worry.

Also, in reference to the last part – in the original story the creature was a goose. Never got that…I went with a dragon instead; it seemed much more appropriate for an ancient summon.

Second, I had a reader PM me about my story recommendation for last chapter. Up until now, most of the stories I've recommended weren't NaruHina. I told everyone in the beginning as long as there isn't any bashing of other pairings and the writing is good, I read and recommend the story but this reader made a good point that THIS story is NaruHina and I should recommend some stories that have them as the main pairing. So, the next few recommendations will be just for them, and rightfully so.

**_Recommendation time!_** Okay, for this chapter I'm throwing a HUGE recommendation to my fellow writer, KingKakashi. He's the reason I started reading FanFiction in the first place, he's the reason I'm writing this story and he's the first person I wrote a piece for. He has three fantastic stories out there, but the one I'm talking about is **_Naruto vs Sasuke – The Aftermath_**. It's one of my two favorites on FanFiction, and luckily enough, it just got updated and the latest chapter contains a VERY long, steamy and sexy NaruHina lemon scene that's probably one of the best I've ever read. If you're a NaruHina fan you NEED to check this one out and leave him a review, because his work is well worth your time and his effort. He deserves your support.

We're quickly coming to the end of the old stuff and getting to the new stuff so hopefully things will get less repetitive soon. Standard statement once again is that every chapter will have SOMETHING new; I'm just not sure how much.

That's all for now. Take care and stay safe.

Serious Sam


	8. Ch 7: Somebody

7\. Somebody's Getting Married

**_Extra! Extra! Read all about it! It's Chapter 7, and somebody's getting married!_**

Okay, standard thanks once again to Nube de Cristal for allowing me to adopt this story, as well as to my anonymous beta for his help and support.

So, what's new here? Pretty much everything, which is why it took so long to write, in addition to the fact that life has gotten in the way the last few weeks. I struggled with the idea of releasing one BIG chapter for the wedding or stretching it out over two or three. I opted for the second choice, and I hope you guys enjoy reading the upcoming chapters as much as I did writing them.

As always, I love the reviews, and I appreciate when people take the time to leave one for me. Since this is the first chapter that I've written where I didn't really use anything from Nube's original story, I really want to hear what people think.

I also want to mention something…Last week, I asked a reader of my story if they got the movie reference I hinted at in the disclaimer, to which they replied, "What movie reference?" I was a bit shocked, but for those who missed it, I wanted to explain why I do that.

My philosophy has always been that you need to go through life with a sense of humor. Every week, I reference a famous quote from a TV show (the yada yada yada was from Seinfeld) or a famous comedy movie (two chapters ago was from Spaceballs) and my hope is that when you see it, it brings a smile to your face and makes you laugh at least once as you go through your day. It's true that laughter is the best medicine, and life is far too short to be pissed off all the time.

Now, having said that…if you figure out this week's reference and you don't have to use Google to do it, I'm extremely impressed because the movie came out in 1984.

So remember – REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS! Love them, want them, need them, leave them!

**_Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto, and I feel like singing! One, two, three, four…_**

**_Somebody get some flowers, somebody get a ring!_**

**_Somebody get a chapel and a choir to sing!_**

**_Somebody get an organ to play!_**

**_'Cause somebody's getting married today! (+1 if you get the reference)._**

* * *

Chapter 7 – Somebody's getting married!

It was a beautiful day at the park.

Hikaru was pushing his sister Kiseki on the swings, as she screamed at him to go higher while several meters away, a blanket was spread out beneath a large oak tree ready for a family picnic. Hinata was curled up in her husband's arms, watching their children play as she held their sleeping newborn daughter, Megumi close to her heart.

"A Ryo for your thoughts, my hime."

She smiled with satisfaction. "You don't need Ryo to know what my thoughts are, Naruto-kun. They're the same as always…of you and our children, and how much I love you."

"And I love you as well. Although I'm pretty sure when it comes to that, our children will always hold the majority vote in your heart. They do outnumber me three-to-one."

Hinata pouted. "You know that's not true! You will always hold the biggest piece, no matter what."

He looked slyly at her. "Really?"

"Well, maybe half of it. Let's see how the rest of the day goes."

Naruto laughed and wrapped his arms tighter around Hinata. "I'm glad you talked me into taking a day off from being Hokage. I haven't felt this relaxed in a long time, and I don't think there's any way this day could be more perfect."

Hinata turned her head to look at her husband. "I can think of one way it could. Want to guess what it is?"

"There's no need. Your wish is my command, hime." Smiling, Naruto bent his head down to kiss her. However, a voice intruded on their moment.

**_HINATA._**

Naruto looked around, startled. "Did you hear that?"

She didn't stop looking at him. "Ignore it. Care to finish what you were about to start?"

"Always." He smiled again, bending his head down to kiss her but the voice echoed around them one more time.

**_HINATA, YOU NEED TO WAKE UP._**

The image of the park, her husband and her family disappeared in a swirl of colors as she opened her eyes to the sight of Neji shaking her awake.

"Hinata, it's eight o'clock in the morning. You need to get up and start getting ready; the wedding is in five hours."

Confused, she blinked her eyes several times and said, "Nii-san?"

"Yes, cousin. Are you okay? You look like you're still half asleep, and I'm not sure what you were dreaming about, but it was very hard to wake…"

_"NII-SAN! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?"_

The look on Hinata's face quickly changed from confused woman to enraged predator, and if looks could kill Neji would be dead several times over by now. Falling on his backside, he scrambled backwards on his hands and knees and asked, "What…what's wrong, cousin? All I asked was…"

_"YOU JUST WOKE ME UP FROM THE MOST WONDERFUL DREAM I'VE HAD IN YEARS, AND YOU HAVE THE AUDACITY TO ASK ME WHAT'S WRONG?" She clenched her teeth and spat, "GET OUT."_

"Hinata, I'm only trying…"

"**_OUT!"_** she screamed, leveling a massive amount of killing intent at him.

Neji scurried out the door, swiftly closing it behind him as he listened to the screams of rage from within. He quickly walked down the hall, thinking that the last time he had seen Hinata this mad was when they were children and he'd accidentally eaten all of her cinnamon rolls without her getting even one.

_That must have been _**_some_**_ dream for her to be so angry at me, he thought. I hope to Kami this doesn't last, otherwise Naruto is in for a very unpleasant honeymoon tonight._

* * *

Across town in his hotel room, Naruto woke from a dreamless sleep. He was still a little tired from the summoning, but there was simply too much to do today for him to sleep in. Stretching, he got out of bed and placed a pillow on the floor, sitting in the lotus position to begin his meditation. But his goal this morning wasn't inner peace…at least not in the traditional sense.

Closing his eyes, he entered his mind and appeared in front of the cage that held the kyuubi and just like a week ago, he noticed that some drastic changes had taken place. The sewer had basically disappeared, and the sky was now a bright gray almost as if it were a blank canvas ready to be painted.

**_Good morning, kit. Sleep well?_**

_Not really Kurama, but at least I didn't have any nightmares last night. He looked around at the landscape. Things have changed again. When did all this happen?_

**_Last night after you completed the ceremony. I assumed that it was another positive sign._**

_I certainly hope so. Contrary to how I appear both inside and outside, I'm feeling a bit nervous about today. She still has time to reconsider._

**_I'm sure you have nothing to worry about, especially after the promise she made to you yesterday. Unlike the pink-haired female, I believe that this one will keep her word and see it through to the end._**

_He sighed. For the time being, I'll reserve judgment on that. After the last eight years, I'm too much of a pessimist to think she'll marry me until I hear the words, 'I do'._

**_Kurama chuckled. I find it amusing after the events of the past two weeks that you still believe she'll run. Didn't the ceremony last night convince you otherwise? For all intents and purposes, she carries your mark and shares your essence._**

_I know, and that's basically the only reason why I'm here right now. Naruto paused for a moment, understanding the gravity of his next words. I've been giving it some thought, and assuming that Hinata goes through with it and marries me, I...accept the terms of your offer._

**_Kurama raised his head from his front paws and stared hard at him. You asked me this last week when I made my offer, so I will ask the same of you. You understand what this means? What you will be required to do?_**

_Yes Kurama, I understand fully and I know what I have to do._

**_Swear to me, Naruto. Swear on the life of your one true mate that you will keep your word._**

_As long as the wedding goes as planned, I swear to you that I will honor the agreement._

**_After a few moments, Kurama nodded. I accept your offer, Naruto. Do not make me regret this._**

_You won't, Kurama. I promise. He looked around. There's a lot to do, so I should be going. But the meeting to complete our transaction will take place tomorrow, and I'll have Kakashi get everyone together at his office around two in the afternoon...will that be acceptable to you?_

**_I've waited this long, so one more day certainly won't matter in the grand scheme of things. He paused a moment. And Naruto?_**

_Yes, Kurama?_

**_He bowed his head low. You have my gratitude. Thank you._**

Naruto returned the bow. _You are welcome…friend._

* * *

Hinata was sitting at her vanity, brushing her hair as her maid, Yui waited for her to finish so that she could braid it into an elaborate hairstyle for her wedding. Behind her, Hanabi sat on the edge of the bed, trying to maintain an outward semblance of calm even though on the inside she felt broken and lost.

The conversation with Neji yesterday had offered little help. In all honesty, it appeared he was just as shocked as they were that Hiashi had accepted the offer from Lord Isamu and immediately went looking for him to discuss the issue. The sisters had no idea what was said between them, but apparently it had changed nothing as Neji had left his office angry and shaken.

Hinata could only hope for a miracle for Hanabi, but for now she thought it might be best to keep her sister's mind occupied with other things.

"Imōto, could you have Neji find Hikaru for me? I haven't seen him all morning, and he needs to bathe and get dressed."

"Sure, Nee-san. I think I saw him running out of the compound this morning heading for the training grounds; I'll have Neji start looking for him there."

Hinata scowled. Hikaru knew this day was important to her; he should be dressing in his formal kimono and not out getting sweaty and dirty. He would get a firm scolding when Neji brought him here.

After several minutes, Hinata set her brush down and said, "Yui, when you style my hair please make sure to use the combs that Naruto-kun gave me. It's important that he sees me wearing them today."

"Yes, Lady Hinata." As she began to braid her hair, Yui noticed Hinata's face in the mirror. Having served the Hyuga household for so long – and in particular, Hinata – she could tell when something was wrong.

As her hands continued their work she asked, "What troubles you, Lady Hinata?"

Her eyes came back into focus and she looked at Yui in the mirror. "What? Oh, I'm sorry Yui. Did you say something?"

"Yes, I did. I asked what's troubling you because your thoughts seemed a million miles away."

"Is it that obvious?"

"Is what obvious?" Hanabi asked, coming back into the room and retaking her seat on Hinata's bed.

Yui smiled. "Your sister is troubled about something."

Hanabi looked at her sister and smirked. "I'm guessing it's about tonight, right Nee-san?"

Hinata blushed and replied, "I don't need you to remind me, Imōto. I'm nervous enough as it is, but that's not all I'm worried about. This day is very special to me and I hope it isn't ruined by…"

She trailed off, not wanting to say 'father'. Hinata knew it was still a sensitive subject, and Hanabi was one step away from a nervous breakdown. She thought it best to avoid anything that would mentally push her over the edge right now.

Feeling tense, her thoughts turned to what had happened last night in the forest, wondering if it had been real or if she'd imagined the whole thing. Wanting to confirm the event for herself, she raised her right hand and pushed some chakra into it, making the seal visible.

Hanabi saw it appear on the back of her hand and asked, "Nee-san…what is that?"

"Naruto-kun called it an amalgamation seal. He has one just like it, but the yin part is missing on his while the yang part is missing on mine."

"Cool." She continued to study it, her inquisitive nature coming to the surface. "What does it do?"

"It's sort of an emotional bond, where we can sense each other's feelings. Naruto-kun did this so that if he ever senses I'm hurt or in danger, he can be there to protect me."

Hanabi held her hand, tracing the outlines of the seal. "That is **_so_** incredibly romantic." She looked at her sister and asked, "Does it work?"

Last night still being mostly a blur, she thought it might be a good idea to test it out. She smiled at Hanabi and said, "Let's see." She thought about how nervous and frightened she was and reached out to brush Naruto's essence. After a few moments, his essence caressed hers back.

Hanabi's eyes became wide. "Nee-san! I felt that!"

Hinata was surprised. She hadn't realized that someone else could feel the effects of the seal if they held her hand. "And what exactly did you feel?"

Hanabi thought about that for a moment before saying, "It's hard to describe, but the best word I can think of is…comfort." Her eyes became moist, and she looked at Hinata with a hopeful smile on her face. "It's like he's telling us not to worry, because everything will be all right."

She didn't miss the fact that subconsciously, Hanabi had said 'us' and not 'you'. Without knowing it, Naruto had given both her and Hanabi the courage to make it through the day, but it was still too depressing to think about what tomorrow would bring for her sister.

Their thoughts were interrupted by the sound of two male voices echoing down the hallway as they argued with one another.

"No! I don't need a bath! And why do I have to wear a fancy kimono?"

"Stop being difficult, Hikaru. Today is a very special day for your mother. You need to be presentable, and right now you look like an unkempt pigsty."

The door to her bedroom flew open, and Neji walked in dragging Hikaru by the scruff of his neck. It appeared the words 'unkempt pigsty' were fairly accurate, as both of them smelled rather bad and looked like they had been rolling around in the mud, their clothes torn in several places.

Hikaru saw the disapproving gaze his mother was leveling at him, and knew his chances of getting out of trouble were slim, but he decided to try anyway. He smiled at her and said, "Mom! You look so pretty!"

"Don't play innocent with me, Hikaru. You know very well how important this day is to me, and despite that you still disobeyed me. The only reason why you're not being punished right now is because I don't have the time to do it." She looked at Neji and asked, "Where did you find him?"

"He was at training ground twelve, throwing kunai at moving targets."

"If that's all he was doing, then why do you both look like that?"

Neji leveled a stern gaze at Hikaru and said, "Because when I told him it was time to go, he stubbornly refused and forced me to chase him down. His reasoning was that nothing important would happen until one o'clock, so he could still get in another hour or so of training." Looking back up at Hinata, his voice tempered somewhat as he finished, "He was very hard to catch."

Any other day, Hinata would be proud of the compliment Neji just gave to her son but today she wasn't in the mood for his disobedience.

She sighed and said, "Nii-san, please take Hikaru and make sure he washes thoroughly. Then see that he dresses in his formal kimono for the ceremony since we don't have much time. We have to be at the shrine at noon."

Nodding, he dragged Hikaru out of the room and down the hall towards the baths, despite his repeated protests that he didn't need one and was fine exactly how he was.

Hinata closed her eyes and took a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself. _I know Hikaru can be difficult at times, but for the love of Kami why does it have to be today?_ She opened her eyes and turned to her attendant. "Yui, please go and help Neji with Hikaru. Hanabi can help me finish here."

"Are you certain, Lady Hinata?"

Another round of screaming protests came from down the hall, followed once again by a stern response. Hinata frowned and said, "Unfortunately I know my son, and right now I'm **_very_** certain that Neji needs your help far more than I do."

* * *

He looked at the clock. Thirty minutes and ten seconds to go.

Time was moving painfully slow as Naruto waited in a small alcove of the shrine. His attempts at meditation to calm himself had been useless, so he'd settled for simply pacing back and forth in his kimono until the wedding was set to begin.

He was anxious to get the ceremony started. Despite all evidence to the contrary, he still carried a nagging doubt that Hinata wasn't going to show up and until he actually stood at that altar and saw her walking towards him, he wouldn't believe it.

He looked at the clock again. Twenty nine minutes and fifteen seconds to go.

That Kami damned clock was trying to torture him, he was sure of it. A Rasengan formed in his right hand as he got up close and personal with the object.

"You think you're REAL funny, don't you? Sitting on that wall, ticking away at a snail's pace without a care in the world as to what you're doing to my nerves. Well, how will **_you_** feel when I drive a Rasengan though that smug little face of yours?" He lifted his arm, intent on turning the clock into tiny bits and pieces.

His arm froze as he was distracted by a knock on the door. Without waiting for an answer, Iruka walked in followed immediately by Kakashi. They quickly put two and two together when they saw how close he was to the clock, the Rasengan in his hand and the slightly insane look on his face.

Iruka looked at him and asked, "Umm, hey Naruto…something wrong?"

"Yeah, Iruka-sensei there **_is_** something wrong." He pointed his free hand at the clock. "This thing is mocking me. It's moving slow on purpose, and it needs to know I'm not someone _who should be fucked with right now!_" He reared his arm back again, ready to strike…

Kakashi leapt in quickly and caught his arm. "It's okay, Naruto…calm down. It's just a clock. It's not mocking you, I promise."

Naruto narrowed his eyes and looked at it. "Are you sure, Kakashi-sensei?"

"Yes, I'm sure. This is perfectly normal; you're just nervous about the wedding." Kakashi looked at his right hand. "Now can you please disperse that before someone gets hurt?"

The words seemed to snap Naruto back to reality, and he quickly dispelled the Rasengan and apologized. "Sorry, guys. I'm not sure what came over me…I'm just…"

Iruka grinned and replied, "Really, it's fine. I was the same way when I married Shizune. I thought the door to the men's bathroom was laughing at me when it got stuck and wouldn't let me out, so I destroyed it with a chakra-enhanced punch."

They all laughed a bit, diffusing the tension in the room before Naruto asked, "So is that why you guys are here? To check up on me and make sure I'm not having a nervous breakdown?"

Kakashi eye smiled at him. "Yes and no. We did want to check up on you, but I also have another purpose in mind." He pulled a storage scroll from his kimono and said, "Since today is your wedding day and you are adopting the Namikaze name, I have some things to give you."

Unrolling the scroll on the table, he placed his hand on the seal in the center and immediately several items popped up. Kakashi walked up to the first item and said, "These are your father's jutsu scrolls. I found them in the archives when I became Hokage, and now I'm returning them to their rightful owner, the last living Namikaze."

He picked up the second item. "This is a ledger that represents what's left in the accounts from your father's estate. It's now yours and I transferred ownership of the account to you this morning."

Handing over the checkbook, Naruto looked at the last entry and his eyebrows rose. _Five hundred thousand Ryo,_ he thought. Not bad at all. He silently thanked his father for the gift.

Kakashi moved on to the third item. "These are Jiraiya's jutsu scrolls. He left them to you in his will, along with the rights to any publishing residuals from the Icha Icha series." He picked up the fourth item. "And this is a ledger that represents what's left in the accounts from his estate. As his sole heir, the rights to these are now yours and I transferred ownership of them to you as well."

"I…I was his sole heir? He left everything to me?"

Kakashi's lone eye looked at him sadly. "Yes, Naruto. You may not know this, but your parents made Jiraiya your godfather. He never married and didn't have any children…at least not that we could find. So by default, the rights to his entire estate fell to you." He handed the checkbook over to Naruto and said, "I know he would have wanted you to have the scrolls. As well as this."

Naruto's eyes grew wide when he saw the number. "Three million Ryo?"

Kakashi eye smiled at him and said, "I'm sure you'll put it to good use rebuilding either the Namikaze or Uzumaki clan. Who knows? Maybe it'll be both."

He smiled at Kakashi and said, "Thank you. I don't think I've ever received better presents in my life."

"Oh, I'm not through yet." Kakashi produced one final storage scroll and said, "This isn't a gift from your Hokage. This is from me personally." He unrolled the scroll and placed his hand in the center.

A dark grey kimono appeared, embroidered on the back in yellow with the Namikaze crest. Kakashi gingerly picked it up, brushing off some stray dust that he thought he saw on it.

"This belonged to your father…my sensei. He left it in my care to give to you when you finally decided to settle down and get married."

He placed it in Naruto's shaking hands. "I know your father would be very proud of you, Naruto. And Iruka and I are proud of you as well. You honor his memory with the man you have become."

Naruto studied the kimono for a few moments, tracing the outline of his family crest with his fingertips. Gently setting it down, he turned and hugged Iruka and Kakashi fiercely and said, "Thanks, guys…for everything. You don't know how much this means to me."

They hugged him as well, slapping him on the back. It was Iruka who spoke first. "You're welcome, Naruto. Now, how about you try your dad's kimono on for size?"

Naruto shook his head. "No, not just yet. I think I should get these other items home for safekeeping; they're too valuable to just leave sitting here at the shrine." He put his hand in the center of the storage scroll, resealing the jutsu scrolls and ledgers inside of it.

"We can take care of that for you, Naruto. I'll just get one of the Anbu to…"

"It's not a problem, really. Here, hold this." He produced a three-pronged kunai with the Hiraishin symbol engraved on the hilt and gave it to Iruka. Grabbing the storage scroll, he smiled and said, "Be back in a flash!" And with that, he disappeared.

Iruka looked at Kakashi and asked, "You think he'll be okay? He did seem a little on edge when we walked in."

"Yeah, I know. He'll be fine once the ceremony starts and it shouldn't be long now…"

They both looked at the clock. Twenty five minutes and thirty seven seconds to go.

Kakashi's eye narrowed and a Chidori appeared in his right hand. "You know, I think Naruto was right. That clock **_is_** mocking us…"

* * *

The shrine was filled to capacity with friends and family. In fact, a large number of guests decided to stand in the back rather than miss out on a chance to see what was being called the wedding of the decade. It's not often a person gets to see someone as important as the Hero of the Leaf and Savior of the Shinobi World get tied down and become a family man, all in the same day.

Everyone was waiting patiently until a small noise caught their attention, as a door next to the altar opened up and Naruto came out, resplendent in his father's kimono. Closing the door behind him, he walked over to stand next to his best man, Iruka and nodded his thanks to his groomsmen, Neji and Konohamaru. However, he knew something was wrong as they turned their faces to acknowledge his thanks.

He leaned over and whispered, "Iruka-sensei, what's up with Konohamaru? His face looks like he ate a bad plate of sushi, and Neji looks like someone just died."

"I have no idea, Naruto. I noticed it as well but haven't had the opportunity to ask them yet. Maybe we'll have the chance at the reception later."

Naruto barely had time to nod in agreement before the music started to play, and the doors at the back of the shrine opened. The first person through the doors was Tenten, wearing what Hinata had chosen for her bridesmaids, which was a striking lavender peacock kimono with butterfly sleeves and a magnificent floral pattern in shades of pink, gold and green. She walked slowly up to the altar, smiling at Neji before turning to the left to stand and wait.

Shizune was the next one down the aisle, and she gave Iruka the same smile that Tenten had given Neji. She walked to the front and turned to the left, standing next to Tenten.

Hanabi was the last person to enter before Hinata, however Naruto could tell the smile on her face was forced and she had the same haunted look on her face that Konohamaru wore. She walked down the aisle staring straight ahead, not even glancing at Konohamaru as she turned to the left to stand next to Shizune.

Before he had a chance to contemplate what he just saw, the music changed and the guests who had been seated rose. At the back of the shrine, Hiashi appeared with Hinata on his arm. All eyes were on her as she slowly walked down the aisle, looking radiant in her white kimono with embroidered floral patterns and silk tassels.

Along with everyone else, Naruto couldn't help but stare. He'd traveled to many lands and seen lots of beautiful women, but right now he could honestly say he'd never seen anyone look more beautiful than Hinata looked right now. Not Princess Koyuki, not Sakura…Nobody.

As they reached the front Hiashi gave her to Naruto, and his look made it very clear that he was more than happy to do so. Naruto was itching to wipe that grin off of his face, but this wasn't the proper time or place so he shoved that desire to the back of his mind and took her hand, slightly bowing in thanks.

As she stepped onto the altar and faced him, he looked at her and mouthed the word "Wow." She smiled at him, her eyes shining with unshed tears as he held her shaking hands. At this point, a grinning Tsunade stepped up to the altar to begin the ceremony.

"Friends, family and honored guests, we are gathered here together to witness and celebrate the union of _Hinata Hyūga_ and _Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze_ in marriage. They have come to realize that their personal dreams, hopes, and goals are more attainable and more meaningful through the combined effort and mutual support provided in love, commitment, and family. And with that, they have made the decision to live together as husband and wife."

"True marriage is more than just the joining of bonds between two people; it is the union of two souls, united in love and light. It lives on in the love you give each other, never grows old, and thrives on the joy of each new day. When two people are married they blend together as one heart, one mind, and one spirit. In mathematics, one plus one equals two but only in marriage can one plus one…truly equal one."

"Naruto and Hinata, today you choose each other before your family and friends to begin your life together. Let your love and friendship guide you as you learn and grow together, and through your partnership may you triumph over the challenges in your path. Through the comfort of loving arms, may you be blessed with a lifetime of happiness and a home of warmth and understanding. May you always be able to confide in each other, laugh with each other, and share moments of quiet and peace when the day is finished."

Tsunade closed her book and took a step back. She looked at the gathering and said, "I'm told that the bride and groom have written their own vows, and will read them now."

Nodding, Naruto reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. He cleared his throat and said, "Hinata, it amazes me that you are standing in front of me right now, because I can think of no greater challenge than marrying me." A few chuckles came from the crowd upon hearing this. "In front of everyone here today, I again make you the promise of a lifetime that I'll protect and care for you and Hikaru always. I pledge to you endless strength that you can count on when you are weak; I will encourage you in your successes and support you in your failures. I promise to hold you when you cry, to care for you when you are sick, to softly kiss you when you are hurting, and to be your companion and your friend, on this journey that we make together."

Hinata was overcome with joy at the words Naruto had spoken to her. He'd just publicly announced his acceptance of both her and Hikaru to everyone present, including some of the most powerful people in the elemental nations. Tears fell silently from her eyes and stained her cheeks, as her lower lip quivered with emotion.

There were several "oohs" and "aahs" heard throughout the crowd, as well as sniffles from some of the more emotional people. Naruto put his vows away and looked at Hinata, waiting to hear what she had written.

Hinata wiped some tears from her cheeks, and then lifted her paper to read the vows she'd prepared but when she tried, she couldn't speak.

Concerned, Naruto looked at her and whispered, "Hinata? Are you okay?"

She looked up from the paper she held and stared straight into his eyes, which had turned a bright sapphire blue. Right away, she knew she wouldn't be able to read anything and handed the paper off to Tsunade.

Tsunade said, "Well, it appears that our bride is at a loss for words." Again, there were several small chuckles from the crowd. "I'm assuming you want me to read your vows for you?"

Blushing and slightly embarrassed, Hinata nodded at this.

Tsunade held up the piece of paper and read, "Naruto-kun, when we were young I had always hoped that we would end up here, in this moment. You balance me, you challenge me, and you encourage me. You are my strength and comfort when I need it most, and you believe in me even when I find it hard to believe in myself. You are my inspiration, and my soul's fire. You have saved me from loneliness and offered me freedom. You are my breath, my every heartbeat, and in your eyes I have found my home. On this day, I give to you my promise that I will walk beside you through whatever our lives may bring as I join my life to yours."

As Tsunade finished, she noticed that the sniffling in the crowd had turned to outright sobbing. She folded the paper back up and returned it to Hinata, who appeared to be struggling to stay upright.

Tsunade leaned close and whispered in her ear, "Breathe, Hinata. Just a few more minutes and it'll all be over."

Hinata nodded, but inside she was unsure if she would make it that long.

"We will now perform the ritual of San-San-Kudo." Tsunade gestured to three cups of sake sitting on the altar and said, "I hope you like the vintage. It's from my private stock."

There were more than a few laughs at this before the crowd quickly became quiet again as the bride and groom approached the altar. Naruto took the smallest cup of sake and sipped from it before passing it to Hinata. The process was repeated with the medium and large cups before they walked back to their original places.

"And now, with the divine guidance of Kami and the authority granted to me by the Daimyo, I now pronounce you husband and wife." Tsunade smirked and finished, "Naruto…you may kiss the bride."

Hinata thought Naruto would simply give her a formal kiss, but apparently he was having none of that. A lecherous grin appeared on his face as he quickly picked her up bridal style, bringing her body close to his.

Her arms encircled his neck in shock before she exclaimed softly, "Naruto! Please put me down; everybody is looking at us."

His eyes smouldered as he said, "I don't care. Let them look."

He dipped his head and gave her a kiss that made her toes curl from the emotional force of it. She melted into the kiss, returning it with an equal amount of passion and was a moment away from losing consciousness when he set her back on her feet, dazed and lightheaded.

The crowd erupted into thunderous applause along with more than a few whistles. However, the applause nearly doubled in volume as Naruto motioned towards Hikaru, who was standing in the front row to come and join them. Quickly running up to the altar, Hikaru was startled as Naruto picked him up to share in a three-way hug with Hinata and himself before setting him back on his feet.

Tsunade declared, "Everyone, I present to you for the very first time, Mr. and Mrs. Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze."

The applause continued as Naruto, Hinata and Hikaru walked back down the aisle hand in hand, radiating happiness to each other through the bond that they shared.

* * *

A/N: Okay, I know everyone is going "WOW, was that chapter short!" You're right, but it was either release this _OR_ have everyone wait for me to finish the entire scene, which might have taken another month based on how my life has been going. I thought everyone might enjoy some new content, and any reviews I get will help me tweak the next chapter as well.

I really did quite a bit of research for the wedding since I wanted to incorporate traditional Japanese ceremonies with a bit of western culture and hopefully I've done that. A lot of what happened here was referenced from my own wedding, especially the part about Hinata not being able to say her vows and her general nervousness. And in case you're wondering, this part of the story will be long because I'm a big fan of weddings.

As usual, I'm adding a small part here to explain some plot development. I had a few readers from last chapter talk about the situation with Hanabi and Konohamaru. Rest assured, this is addressed in the next chapter. And to my reader **Rinnealex** who was concerned about the Hiashi issue, this will be cleared up in next chapter as well. So stay tuned!

So moving forward, you're going to see mostly new stuff from me with a smattering of stuff from Nube for fill-in material. She did have some great stuff I still want to use, but the content will swing more in my favor from here on out.

That's all for now. Take care and stay safe.

Serious Sam


	9. Ch 8: The Reception

8\. The Reception

**_You're travelling through another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind; a journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination. Your next stop, Chapter 8…The Wedding Reception._**

Okay, standard thanks once again to Nube de Cristal for allowing me to adopt this story, as well as to my anonymous beta for his help and support.

So here we are; part 2 of the wonderful world of weddings. I had most of this already worked out before I released the last chapter but I wanted to tweak it based on the reviews I received and that's exactly what happened. Thanks to everyone for their input.

_Before we begin, I would like to respond to the guest who posted the review with the following words: …the wedding was romantic, which was odd because neither Hinata nor Naruto really used the word "love" in their vows._

The fact that you caught it shows attention to detail and just so you know, I did this by design. Hinata loves Naruto, but she thinks he loves Sakura more than her. Naruto loves Hinata, but he thinks Hinata loves Hikaru's father more than him. So they intentionally avoided using the word love in their vows for that reason. You should notice that it didn't stop Tsunade, though. And they will learn of their love for each other rather soon, I promise.

As always, I love the reviews, and I appreciate when people take the time to leave one for me. As we're now getting into my original work, I really need everyone's help in making sure the story is great going forward and the reviews are the best way to make that happen. So leave them soon and leave them often, because I love getting them!

**_Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto, and I still feel like singing! Let's do the second verse!_**

**_Somebody get a preacher, somebody bake a cake!_**

**_Somebody get some shoes and rice and presents to take!_**

**_Somebody get some sexy lingerie!_**

**_'Cause somebody's getting married today! (Same reference as last week because I love the song)._**

* * *

Chapter 8 – The Reception

The reception hall was packed to capacity as the wedding party made their way to the head table to be seated. As Naruto looked out over the crowd, he noticed that the Fire and Sand Daimyo and their attendants had been seated at the very front. After that came other members of nobility and behind them were the five Kage of the elemental nations, each with their own entourage. Clan heads were seated after that, and minor guests at the back.

It appeared that without asking, Hiashi had arranged the seating chart so that the more important you were, the closer you sat to the head table. Of course, as father of the bride he made sure to get a seat right up front next to the Daimyo which Naruto knew was more than just a simple coincidence.

After giving the bride and groom a few minutes to settle in, Iruka stood up and cleared his throat to get everyone's attention, waiting for the room to quiet down before starting to speak.

"The bride and groom would like to thank everyone for sharing in their special day. I know some of you came from a great distance, and they greatly appreciate your presence here at this joyous occasion. And as the best man, I'm supposed to give a speech, so I'd like to say a few words about our newly married couple."

"Naruto, you certainly have come a long way from the loudmouthed prankster everyone knew when you were younger. I mean, who could forget that you were the one responsible for painting the third Hokage's face on the monument to look like Might Guy? Complete with a 'flames of youth' speech bubble?"

There were more than a few laughs at this, as many in the audience either pictured or remembered the prank from many years ago.

"Or how about the time you made the sneezing powder explode in the Inuzuka compound?"

This brought another round of laughs as everyone heard Kiba's voice shout from the back, "That was _YOU_, Naruto?"

"Then there was the time you replaced all the sake in Lady Tsunade's office with drinking water."

"**_OKAY_**, Iruka-sensei…we all get it; no need to continue telling everyone the entire list. And for the record, I only switched the sake because Shizune told me that Baa-chan had been drinking **_way_** too much that month."

A large round of laughter erupted from the crowd and many even clapped their hands in amusement, but Shizune had gone pale at the confession and Tsunade looked less than pleased.

"Well, despite that…you've accomplished a great deal since then. You've saved this village along with many others, and everyone here owes you a debt of gratitude. But today, I believe thanks shouldn't be given to you, but rather to your lovely bride."

Iruka turned and said, "Hinata, I can honestly say that you're the best thing that could ever happen to Naruto. Even from when you were younger, everyone knew how much you cared for him and I know that you will both be very happy together. I'm glad that you've finally gotten him to settle down, and hopefully having such a beautiful wife will ensure he doesn't disappear from the village again."

He placed a hand on each of their shoulders and finished, "You two were truly meant for one another, and I wish you both the best of what's yet to come." He raised his glass and said, "A toast to the happy couple!"

Glasses clinked as everyone toasted to their health, though before it could get loud again Tsunade stepped up to the head table and took the place Iruka had been occupying just moments earlier, gesturing for Naruto and Hinata to stand up.

Looking out at the crowd she said, "I know this is a little out of the ordinary, since no one was expecting me to make a speech here at the reception." She turned to look at Naruto and Hinata. "The two of you will receive many gifts today to help start your new life together. But **_mine_** is special, and I wanted to give it to you now so that by this time tomorrow, everyone in the village will know about it."

Tsunade produced a scroll, and gave it to Naruto without saying a word. Curious, he opened it and as he read the contents of the scroll, his eyes became wide as he stared at her in disbelief.

"Naruto-kun, what is it? What does it say?"

Stunned into silence, he handed over the scroll to Hinata for her to read, his hands shaking as he did so. She quickly read the scroll, and her face became shocked as she said, "Lady Tsunade…is this what you were talking about that day in your office? Is this what I think it is?"

"Yes, Hinata it is…it's a formal adoption agreement." She turned and said, "Naruto, you're the closest thing to family I have left in this world. I can think of no greater joy in my life than having you, Hinata and Hikaru officially be my grandchildren, and in return be part of your extended family." She gave him a little smile and finished, "You have the right to refuse, of course. But…"

That was as far as she got before Naruto enveloped her in a fierce hug, tears falling shamelessly from his eyes. More than a few people cheered, and the crowd erupted once again in thunderous applause.

"Thank…Thank you, Baa-chan. I've been given so many wonderful gifts today, but yours is the biggest by far." He hugged her tighter and said, "I...I love you very much."

Tears fell from Tsunade's eyes as the smile on her face became a full-fledged grin. She hugged him back and said, "You're very welcome, gaki. And I love you too."

Tsunade broke off their embrace, and then turned to Hinata and hugged her as well. She whispered in her ear, "So Hinata, what do you think? Do you like my gift?"

"It's…It's wonderful Lady Tsunade. I hope it has the effect you were looking for and helps his heart begin to heal. Thank you, thank you so very much."

"You're welcome as well, Hinata. But you can call me Baa-chan now, if you like."

Hinata blushed and exclaimed, "No! No, I would never do that!"

Tsunade laughed and said, "We'll work on it. We can have a little family get together later this week, but for now let's just enjoy the festivities."

The applause died down, conversations were started and more than a few important people came up to the head table to personally congratulate the happy couple. Her new husband seemed to be on a comfortable, first name basis with just about everyone in a position of power and seeing it in person was quite different than being told it was true.

After about thirty minutes or so, the first round of food was brought out to everyone. While most people were served Daifuku (a very delicate seafood flavored soup), Hinata had made sure that Naruto and Konohamaru were served several bowls each of miso ramen from Ichiraku.

Grinning from ear to ear, Naruto kissed his wife happily and picked up his chopsticks. Eating the first bowl in record time, he prepared to dig into the second before noticing that Konohamaru hadn't even started yet. In fact, he was just playing with the noodles, chopsticks in hand and a downtrodden look on his face.

_He's had that same look all day. And now that I think about it, Hanabi and Neji have both had strange looks on their faces as well. Something's going on, but what is it?_

"Hey Konohamaru, is something wrong? C'mon, dig in…its Ichiraku ramen, for Kami's sake!"

"What? Oh, sorry boss...I'm sure it's great, but I'm just not very hungry right now."

Okay, **_now_** he was worried. Konohamaru would never turn down Ichiraku ramen, not in a million years.

And the more he thought about it, the more he was convinced that the problem was between Hanabi and Konohamaru, and Neji knew what it was. Placing his chopsticks on the table, he leaned over to Iruka and whispered in his ear, "Can you do me a favor, Iruka-sensei? Have Neji meet me on the outside balcony, please."

Iruka whispered back, "Umm, sure Naruto. No problem. Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine, I just need to ask him something in private."

He stood and walked out to the balcony, waiting patiently. After a minute, Neji joined him and asked, "Something wrong, Naruto?"

"Yes, Neji…something **_is_** wrong and I'm betting you know what it is." Naruto stared at him and said, "Konohamaru and Hanabi both look like someone just ripped their hearts out. Neither of them have spoken to or looked at each other all day, and Konohamaru just told me that he's not hungry for Ichiraku ramen. And that **_never_** happens."

Neji tried to play innocent and said, "Maybe they had an argument."

"Wrong, Neji. Because I remember seeing your face at the shrine earlier, and you looked like someone had just died. It's too much of a coincidence. You know what's going on, so spill it."

Neji sighed, defeated. "Okay, Naruto. I didn't want to tell you this at your wedding because I knew you'd be upset, but the problem is…Hanabi's suitor."

"Excuse me?"

"The problem is her suitor, Naruto. His name is Isamu, and he's a Lord from the Land of Iron."

Naruto's eyes narrowed as he thought about that last statement. "How old?"

"Naruto, I don't think…"

"I asked you a question, Neji. How old is he?"

Neji took a deep breath and said, "He's forty-six years old."

After a few moments, a smile broke out on Naruto's face but his voice had a deadly undertone to it as he said, "Neji, go get Hiashi and bring him out here. Right now."

"Naruto, I know you're angry but this really isn't the time or place to have an argument with my uncle. There's six hundred wedding guests in there, including two Daimyo and you don't want to cause a scene and ruin this day for Hinata."

Naruto looked him in the eye and said, "Neji, I give you my word that while we're here at the wedding I won't raise my voice or make a scene in any way. Okay?"

Neji activated his byakugan to see if Naruto was lying. Satisfied that he was telling the truth, he nodded and went back in to get Hiashi.

Naruto waited until he was out of sight. _Kurama, I need a favor._

**_Oh? And what might that be?_**

_There's no way I'm going to let Hiashi marry off his daughter to someone who's forty-six years old. I've got a plan to change his mind, but knowing him he probably won't accept it because he's a stubborn asshole who would rather die than lose an argument to me. That's where you come in._

**_You've made me curious. What exactly did you have in mind?_**

_For the sake of Hinata, I'm going to try and reason with his sense of morality but I'm willing to bet that isn't going to work. So if I can't reason with him, I'm going to scare the shit out of him until he agrees to my demands. Would you like to help?_

**_Kurama chuckled. Consider it done. The scent of that human makes my nose cringe. What do you need from me?_**

_Depending on how the conversation goes, I might need to borrow your power for a couple of minutes, but I need to make sure that I don't lose control if that happens. Can you do that?_

**_If I allow it, yes. I'll consider it a leap of faith on our agreement._**

_He heard footsteps coming towards him. Thanks, I'll let you know if and when I'll need you._

Neji came through the doorway with Hiashi in tow, looking irritated. "You've taken me away from my guests, Naruto. What do you want?"

"Hello, Hiashi." Once again, he produced the three-pronged kunai with the Hiraishin seal on it and stabbed it up to the hilt in the balcony railing before saying, "I believe we have some things to discuss."

He placed his hands on the shoulders of both Neji and Hiashi, and everyone disappeared in a flash of yellow light.

* * *

The three men reappeared at a training ground on the outskirts of Konoha. Neji and Hiashi were a bit unsteady at first, so they sat down and waited for the queasiness to pass.

Hiashi said, "Where…Where are we?"

"Training ground twenty-six. It's the one farthest from the village, and therefore the most isolated. I come out here when I need to blow off some steam because **_no one can hear me_.**"

Neither one of them missed the special emphasis Naruto put on the last part of the sentence. Feeling less disoriented, both men stood up as Hiashi glared at Naruto and said, "Why did you bring us all the way out here?"

"Because Hiashi, I wanted to ask you some questions and I promised Neji that while we were at the wedding, I wouldn't raise my voice or cause a scene." He looked around and said, "We're no longer **_at_** the wedding, so I can do whatever the fuck I want right now."

Neji immediately realized that he'd been tricked. Naruto had technically been telling the truth when he made that promise, but his plan all along had been to transport them out here. Hinata had been right when she'd said Naruto wasn't the ignorant knucklehead he used to be; he was far more cunning and devious, and he vowed to be very careful around him in the future.

"And right now, I want answers. I want to know what the hell was running through your mind when you promised your daughter's hand in marriage to a man more than twice her age."

"That's none of your concern, and you have no right to ask."

"Wrong, Hiashi. The marriage contract we both signed says that I'm now a member of your **_renowned_** clan. That gives me the right to ask and be answered."

Outmaneuvered and not liking it, Hiashi narrowed his eyes and said, "It's actually very simple. Lord Isamu made the best offer for Hanabi's hand. Now that you've married Hinata, you're the one responsible for her and I see no reason to further delay accepting his proposal."

Neji thought there was something odd about that last statement. "Further delay, uncle? Does that mean that you've been waiting for some time to accept Lord Isamu's offer?"

"Yes, four months to be exact."

Naruto and Neji stood there, dumbfounded. He'd known about this for four months?

"I've been secretly looking for a suitor to marry Hinata for over a year, and despite my overtures – and promise of a large dowry – I couldn't find anyone who wanted to accept the responsibility for her, or her bastard child. Nobody was aware that I'd been looking for that long, not even you Neji."

"Four months ago, Lord Isamu came to the clan and asked for Hanabi's hand in marriage. I couldn't accept the offer until I found someone to marry Hinata, so I decided to keep his identity a secret until I did. And then you came along, blissfully unaware of how long I'd been looking for someone to pawn Hinata off to, or the identity of Hanabi's suitor. When you suggested Naruto, I realized that this would be the perfect opportunity."

Wearing the same smug grin on his face that he'd shown at the ceremony, he looked at Naruto and said, "Neji suggested you because he knows how much my daughter cares for you, but my reasons had nothing to do with that. I knew your sense of honor and self-sacrifice wouldn't allow you to let Hinata be tossed out on the street so I played the fool, letting everyone believe that I was acting in my daughter's best interest when in fact I was acting in the best interest of the clan."

He shrugged and finished, "And now the dance is done. You married Hinata, I can marry Hanabi off to Lord Isamu and no one can stop me from doing so."

Looking at each other, Naruto and Neji realized they'd both been deceived the entire time. Neji was sure Naruto had a plan to fix this and nodded as if to say, _whatever you have in mind, you have my full support_.

Naruto took a deep breath and said, "Okay, Hiashi…let's see if I can't get you to change your mind about this. This Lord Isamu might be a noble, and he may offer you some level of power but right now I have the highest nobility in the Fire and Sand Daimyo waiting for me back at the reception. And then there are the five Kage, as well as Princess Koyuki and various other nobles and village leaders. I'm on a first name basis with every single one of them, and they all owe me a great debt."

"And don't forget the fact that I'm going to be Hokage. I promise you that if you follow through with this, as long as I'm in that office I'll do my absolute best to make life miserable for the entire Hyūga clan." He smirked and said, "With the sole exception of Neji and Tenten, of course."

Hiashi scoffed and said, "Irrelevant. I can form my own political alliances without your help, and until you actually become Hokage, your promises are hollow. Even then, I don't think you'll be able to follow through on anything because I hold too much power with the council."

_Naruto's thoughts turned inward. Kurama, you better get ready. This conversation is turning out just like I thought it would, so I think we're going to have to go ballistic on his ass._

**_I agree, and I've prepared my chakra for your use. However, before you do I believe you may be missing something important._**

_What's that?_

**_This human craves power and money above all else. You just offered him the former, and yet he wasn't swayed by your words. I'm guessing the latter means more to him and may change his mind, although the chance of that still remains slim._**

Kurama had a point. He looked at Hiashi and said, "Okay, how much?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean Hiashi, that I just offered to put you on friendly terms with quite a few high ranking political figures and you didn't bite. There's two things you crave, and that's power and money. I just offered you the first one, and you didn't even flinch so there has to be some amount of money involved here." His eyes turned cobalt blue and his voice became cold. "So I'll ask you again…how much?"

"I don't think that's…"

Neji interrupted him and said, "Two hundred and fifty thousand Ryo."

Hiashi gave him an icy stare, and to his credit Neji gave him the same look back, not flinching in the slightest.

Naruto was appalled. He had always thought that deep down, Hiashi cared for his daughters and their happiness. But after hearing his words and learning the true motivation behind it all, he wondered if the world would be better off without him in it.

**_I would be happy to eat him, if you wish. I wonder what he tastes like._**

_In the real world, Naruto chuckled. Probably like rotten apple cores. He might make you sick._

Hiashi noticed him laughing and asked, "Is there something you find amusing, Naruto?"

"The kyuubi wondered what you'd taste like if he ate you, and I said probably rotten apple cores. We both found that funny."

The smug expression vanished from Hiashi's face. Naruto saw this, knowing he had the upper hand now and decided to make his final offer.

"Alright, here's the deal. Tomorrow, you're going to refuse the offer from Lord Isamu. I don't care how you do it, but make sure he doesn't come within one hundred yards of Hanabi ever again. You have my word that I won't make your life a living hell when…and it's not if, but **_when_** I become Hokage. And finally, you're going to let Hanabi marry Konohamaru and not interfere with their happiness. If you agree to all of this, then I'll double the offer from Lord Isamu and pay you five hundred thousand Ryo."

Their eyes became wide when they heard the number and Neji asked, "Naruto…do you have that kind of money? Where did you get it?"

"I have the money, and where I got it is unimportant. The only thing that matters now is my proposal." He stared at Hiashi and asked, "Do you accept?"

Hiashi thought about it for a minute. It would certainly be easier to manipulate things to his advantage if the Hokage wasn't making things difficult, and the fact that Naruto was friendly with the Daimyo and many other nobles certainly would help increase the power and status of his clan. He was practically drooling over the thought of five hundred thousand Ryo, but he didn't want to appear weak in front of either of them and there was no way he was going to give in to his demands that easy.

"I will consider your offer, and give you an answer within three days."

Naruto didn't even flinch when he heard the response. The conversation had ended up exactly where he thought it would, and right now there was only one option left.

His thoughts turned inward once again. _Okay, Kurama…Here we go._

**_***Sidestep***_**

Back at the reception, Hinata suddenly stopped eating and looked up, scanning the room quickly.

Hanabi noticed the change and asked, "Nee-san, is something wrong? What's the matter?"

"Where is Naruto-kun?"

Hanabi looked around the room and said, "I don't see him right now. Why?"

Hinata extended her hand with the seal. Hanabi held it for a moment, before her eyes became wide.

Hinata nodded and said, "Yes, Imōto. I'm not sure where he is or what's causing it, but right now my husband is _very angry_."

**_***End Sidestep***_**

Naruto slowly started to raise his chakra levels. He needed to make sure the change in his appearance was gradual, so this was going to require a delicate touch. He might be angry at Hiashi right now, but he needed to remain calm and in control.

"Not good enough, Hiashi. I want an answer and I want it now, so I'm giving you one minute to accept. After that, I'll let the kyuubi use you as his personal chew toy."

The color drained from Hiashi's face and he stammered, "Are…Are you threatening me, Naruto?"

"Yes."

"Just like that? You're not even going to lie about it?"

"Nope. I think with you the direct approach would be best, and with your byakugan you'd know I was lying anyways. Besides, things will be **_much_** easier if you don't accept my offer, because with you out of the picture that means Neji becomes head of the clan and I'm willing to bet that if that happens, the first thing he'll do is tell Lord Isamu to shove that offer up his ass."

Unafraid, Neji looked at Hiashi and nodded in agreement with Naruto.

Hiashi narrowed his eyes and said, "You're bluffing. There's no way you'd follow through on your threat."

"You're wrong. I'll do whatever it takes to keep you from marrying Hanabi off to a lecherous old man more than twice her age, and if that means making you disappear then so be it." He closed his eyes, and when he opened them back up they were red with black slits for pupils. "Your minute starts right now."

Hiashi saw the change and knew exactly what it meant. His mind immediately went on the defensive, analyzing the situation and trying to think of any possible way to turn this to his advantage.

Naruto pushed his chakra out so that it covered his body; his teeth became elongated and his whisker marks grew more pronounced. "Fifty seconds left."

_He's testing me, Hiashi thought. He thinks I'll just collapse and give up, but I won't flinch so easily. However, there's no denying that his power _**_is_**_ rising rapidly, and I know for a fact that it's not a henge because I can tell the difference between the two._

Naruto sprouted three tails in rapid succession, making the air heavy and oppressive, and for added effect he let some killing intent leak out. "Thirty five seconds left."

_Neji isn't going to help me, he's said as much. Could I use the Eight Trigrams on him? Probably not; he's protected by the nine-tails chakra and by the feel of the heat he's giving off I'd severely burn my hands and not slow him down one bit._

Naruto pushed his power up to four tails and the kyuubi cloak formed around him, turning his skin red. The ground began to shake as he doubled his chakra pressure and killing intent and said, **_"TWENTY SECONDS."_**

_Hiashi's face finally showed a hint of fear as he began to sweat under Naruto's intense gaze. That voice I just heard wasn't human. It's the kyuubi, no doubt about it. I shouldn't be here…I should be running, but do I even have that option? Highly unlikely, since we're in the middle of nowhere and he has the advantage of knowing the terrain. I'm also willing to bet he's faster than me based on the amount of power he's pushing out._

Naruto made his final push and suddenly powered up to six tails and pushed his killing intent to the maximum. The resulting shockwave from the increase threw Hiashi and Neji twenty meters away from him, both landing flat on their backs. He immediately pounced on Hiashi, hot drool dripping from between his serrated teeth, ready to strike.

**_"TEN SECONDS."_**

Hiashi was violently shaking from the sight before him and the overwhelming killing intent that Naruto was emitting. There was nothing left that he could do; he was helpless in the face of such power, and there was no room for negotiation. As his life flashed before him, he finally realized there were only two options left…accept the terms of the agreement, or die.

As Naruto's jaws opened wide and reached for his throat, Hiashi finally found his voice and screamed, "STOP, STOP! YOU WIN, I ACCEPT YOUR TERMS! JUST DON'T KILL ME, PLEASE!"

He growled, hovering over Hiashi for a brief moment before turning his head in the direction of Neji and saying, **_"WITNESS."_**

Neji was lying on the ground some distance away, shivering in fear. "What…What did you say?"

**_"WITNESS THE AGREEMENT. I WILL NOT HAVE HIM BREAK HIS WORD."_**

"I…I bear witness to the agreement. Hiashi Hyūga accepts the terms Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze has set forth."

He nodded once in confirmation before slowly backing away, and upon reaching a safe distance he allowed Kurama's chakra to recede into his body.

"Ahh, that's much better. Consider yourself lucky that I stopped the kyuubi when I did, Hiashi. Right now he's very disappointed that I didn't let him eat you."

**_Liar. I'm not disappointed, just relieved._**

_What he doesn't know won't hurt him. Besides, the threat of me letting you get loose might help with any future negotiations when I'm Hokage._

Naruto motioned for Neji and Hiashi to come close, which they both did with some hesitation.

"Here's what we're going to do. Neji, tonight after the wedding reception is finished you and Hiashi will draw up a formal agreement to allow Hanabi to marry Konohamaru under the terms I've set forth. You will also draw up another document for Lord Isamu saying that you apologize for the delay, but you recently received a better proposal than his and the clan decided to accept that one instead."

"At noon tomorrow, I'll meet you both at the bank at which time I will transfer to the Hyūga account the sum of five hundred thousand Ryo. Once this is done, you will present **_both_** signed documents to me, which in turn will be given to the Hokage. He will approve them both and direct one of the ANBU to deliver Lord Isamu's scroll in person. Is this acceptable?"

Neji nodded and said, "I'll ensure this happens, Naruto. You have my word that everything will be in order."

Naruto smiled and placed his hands on the shoulders of Neji and Hiashi once again, and transported them back to the balcony. He turned and pulled the three-pronged kunai with the Hiraishin seal on it out of the railing.

He gestured between the two men with it and said, "One more thing…this discussion of ours, and the fact that I'm the one who gave you the money is going to remain our little secret. Neither of you will tell anyone about this…**_ever_**. And after we conclude our business tomorrow, you will inform Hanabi that Lord Isamu changed his mind and called the whole thing off, and that she's now free to marry Konohamaru. If anyone asks any questions, you keep it simple and don't give them any details or try to embellish the story. Agreed?"

Hiashi was more than happy to agree to this, since he didn't want the fact that Naruto had bested him to become public knowledge.

"Good. Now wait a few minutes before you both come back in, because I don't want to arouse any suspicions. I'll distract Hinata, and then you can enter."

Naruto walked back into the reception and quickly made his way to the head table, lightly tapping Hinata on the shoulder.

"Hey there, beautiful. Care to dance with the most handsome man in the whole room?"

Startled, she quickly turned and said, "Naruto-kun! Where did you go? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

Hinata held up her hand. "I felt you get angry."

"Oh, THAT. I just needed to blow off some steam, that's all. I thought it might be better if I did it away from the wedding so I didn't cause a scene." _Technically it wasn't a lie…_

She cocked her head and asked, "That's all? Are you sure?"

"Absolutely. But you still haven't answered my question." His bright blue eyes captured hers as he lovingly stroked her cheek and asked, "Would the most beautiful woman in the world honor her husband with a dance?"

Hinata smiled as her eyes filled with tears. For the second time today, he had said something so wonderful that she was emotional beyond words. Nodding her head, she took his hand while he led her to the dance floor.

He left her there for a brief moment while he went over and whispered something to the band leader, who said "Sure, no problem." Smiling, he walked back and wrapped his arms around her as the band began playing a slow, romantic tune.

All eyes were on them as they began to sway back and forth to the music. Hinata nestled her head deep in Naruto's chest, enjoying the feel of being in his embrace.

Naruto was enjoying the dance as well, when suddenly her grip on his chest tightened. He chuckled and said, "Still think this is all a dream, am I right?"

She looked at him, tears still glistening in her eyes. "How did you know? Was it the seal?"

"No, nothing like that. Just a hunch." He looked deep into her eyes and said, "Is there anything I can do to convince you that this is real?"

Hinata suddenly had a moment of déjà vu, as the memory of her dream returned. She recalled the line she'd used on him and said, "I'm thinking of one way you can. Care to guess what it is?"

"I really don't think I need to. Your wish is my command, hime."

He bent his head down to kiss her, except this time there were no interruptions and she didn't wake up. As their lips met, his essence brushed hers with all of the emotions Lady Tsunade had talked about – warmth, happiness, caring and comfort – and then at the end, somehow she felt…love.

_And at that moment, she only had one thought. Maybe, just maybe…dreams can come true, after all._

They ended their kiss and continued to dance, relishing the sensation of just being in each others arms. However, it seemed that their romantic display of affection hadn't gone unnoticed by their friends, who had now joined them on the dance floor. Without intending to, Naruto and Hinata listened to several conversations going on around them…

*:*:*:*:*

_Sakura: I'm having such a wonderful time, Sasuke. Doesn't this remind you of when we got married? I think our wedding was better, though…_

_Sasuke: Hn? Our wedding? Sure, I guess so._

_Sakura: What kind of an answer is that? Do you even remember our wedding?_

_Sasuke: I suppose. It was on a Saturday, right?_

*:*:*:*:*

_Temari: Naruto has been so romantic today. Are you getting any ideas, Shika-kun? Have you learned something from being here?_

_Shikamaru: Yes, Mari-chan. I've learned that weddings are expensive and most troublesome…_

*:*:*:*:*

_Kiba: Wow, Naruto is certainly pulling out all the stops today. Who knew he had it in him?_

_Mina: Hinata is a very lucky woman to have found herself someone like him. In many ways he reminds me of you, Kiba-kun._

_Kiba: You keep talking like that, and one of these days I might have to make an honest woman out of you._

*:*:*:*:*

_Tenten: Neji, you suddenly seem very happy about something because you're smiling, and I don't see that look on your face very often. What's got you in such a good mood?_

_Neji: Nothing, really. I'm just glad that Hinata and Naruto have found each other. And now that she and Hikaru are leaving the compound, I was thinking of finding a little place of our own like we discussed and finally starting a family._

_Tenten: Really? You mean it?_

_Neji: Absolutely. I can think of nothing that would make me happier, Tenten. Six children would be a good number to start with, don't you think?_

*:*:*:*:*

_Arekusu: Lee-kun! That's the third time you've stepped on my feet!_

_Lee: I'm sorry that I hurt you, Arekusu. I am not a splendid dancer, and my flames of youth are not burning brightly right now. I must do ten thousand pushups to make it up to you! Yosh!_

_Arekusu: No, you don't have to do that. I'm fine; just let _**_me_**_ lead for awhile. Okay?_

*:*:*:*:*

_Hanabi: We shouldn't be dancing together like this, Konohamaru-kun._

_Konohamaru: Why not, Hanabi-chan?_

_Hanabi: Because as of tomorrow I'll be engaged to be married. And it's hard enough as it is, being so close to you and knowing this all has to end…_

_Konohamaru: Shh, I know. It's hard for me too. But right now, in this moment let's just enjoy what we have. And remember that no matter what happens, I'll be there for you if you need me._

_Hanabi: Thank you, Konohamaru-kun. You…You don't know how much it means to me to hear you say that._

_Konohamaru: Never forget that I love you, Hanabi-chan. More than anything in this world._

_Hanabi: And I love you too, Konohamaru-kun. Always._

*:*:*:*:*

The music ended and everyone returned to their seats to finish their meals. Naruto had six bowls of miso ramen left to eat, and even though they'd been sitting for at least forty minutes he finished them off quickly. Hot or cold, to him there was nothing in the world better than Ichiraku ramen.

The rest of dinner passed without incident; Naruto decided to pass the time with Hinata by leading her around the room and introducing her to some of the people that hadn't visited them at the head table yet.

"Hinata, I'd like you to meet some friends of mine. This is Raikage A and his brother Killer B, who's the jinchuuriki for the Hachibi. Right next to him are his three best students, Samui, Karui and Omoi. Over there is Gramps Oonoki, the Tsuchikage along with his granddaughter, Kurotsuchi. And of course you remember Kazekage Gaara, and I'm assuming this is his fiancée Matsuri."

"Girlfriend, Naruto. Matsuri is my girlfriend."

"Sorry, Gaara. I just assumed Matsuri was your fiancée because of the fact that she's pregnant."

Matsuri did a spit take with the water she was drinking, spraying it all over the table. Coughing and sputtering, she looked at Naruto and asked, "Pregnant? What...What makes you think I'm pregnant?"

Confused, Naruto looked at Matsuri and said, "You didn't know about it?"

Eyes wide, she looked back at him and shook her head.

"Well, over the last several years I've gotten pretty good at noticing these types of physical changes in people. I'm guessing you're about two or three weeks along."

Matsuri just stared at him in disbelief. "You're positive about this?"

"There's a chance I could be wrong, of course. But if you really want to be sure I'd ask Baa-chan to do a quick check." Naruto pointed to a table near the bar where Tsunade was sitting and said, "She's right over there. But I'd talk to her now, before she gets too drunk."

After a moment, her look changed from stunned to dangerous. She turned to Gaara and said, "**DON'T…GO…ANYWHERE**." And she walked to the far side of the room to talk with Tsunade.

Gaara narrowed his eyes and said, "Naruto, it never ceases to amaze me that no matter how old we get, you somehow manage to cause trouble wherever you go."

Naruto looked at Gaara, before shifting his gaze to the table where Tsunade was sitting as they watched her glowing hands move around Matsuri's abdomen. After a moment, she stopped and nodded at her, smiling.

Naruto turned and said, "Umm, I think that's my cue to leave Gaara. You guys should probably talk, and Hinata and I still need to cut and serve the cake."

He grabbed Hinata's hand and quickly led her across the room, not looking back but rather sensing the approaching storm otherwise known as 'Hurricane Matsuri'.

Hinata asked, "Naruto-kun, don't you think that it might have been better to tell them such important news in a more private setting?"

"I really had no idea they didn't know, Hinata. But I'm sure things will be fine once they talk about it. I mean, it was going to come out eventually so why not at a happy occasion like this?"

Hinata thought his answer sounded unconcerned, because she didn't hear him say he was sorry about his actions. The news should have been delivered far more delicately and she wanted to tell him how wrong he was, but she would have to find another way to let him know because this wasn't the time or place to have such a discussion.

They walked up to the cake and paused for a moment to admire it. Naruto had asked for a peony-embellished four tier wedding cake for the ceremony. The cake itself was vanilla flavor, with a layer of meringue running through the middle of each tier. The icing was buttercream and it was adorned with several different shades of purple peonies made from fondant and additional petals for accents, which matched the colors on their wedding invitations. It was a stunning sight to behold, and the chef they had chosen to make it had certainly outdone himself.

"Naruto-kun, I've been meaning to ask you about the cake. I've never heard of such a thing at a wedding, and yet it seemed very important to you. Why?"

"Well, during my travels in the west I attended a few weddings, and they have a tradition of serving cake at the reception. It's supposed to bring good fortune to the bride and groom, and the act of cutting the cake and serving it to your guests is meant to share that good fortune with everyone present."

Hinata smiled at this; the idea of sharing even a small part of her happiness with their guests was a very thoughtful gesture. "So, do we just cut the cake, or…"

"No, first we hold the knife together and cut the first two pieces of cake out. Then, we each hold one and feed it to the other person as a symbol of trust and unity and after that, someone will cut up the rest of the cake and feed it to our guests."

They both held the knife and carefully cut out two pieces of cake. Naruto took his piece and turned to feed it to Hinata, but was stopped cold when he saw the fiendish grin spread across her face.

"Hinata, what…"

That was as far as he got before she smashed the cake into his face, covering it with frosting and even getting some up his nose. The crowd erupted into laughter as Naruto fell back a few steps, desperately trying to clear his eyes so that he could see.

He scraped away the last bit of cake and grabbed another piece before looking around the room and asking, "Where are you, Hinata? What did you do that for?"

From the far side of the room, her voice carried over the continued laughter of the crowd as she answered, "You got what you deserved for being an insensitive jerk to Gaara and Matsuri!"

Naruto was stunned that his sweet little Hinata would do something so devious, and in a public setting no less. Maybe she was finally becoming more bold and assertive, rather than the shy and timid person everyone knew. He actually found it…exciting, and kind of sexy.

An evil grin spread across his face as he said, "Well, since I've gotten MY piece of cake I think you deserve yours. Come over here so I can feed it to you, Hinata."

"Forget it, Naruto-kun! I'm not falling for that trap, and there's no way you'll catch me! There are six hundred people between us, and I have plenty of time to run if…"

The wedding guests were stunned as Naruto suddenly disappeared, and then half a second later they all heard a loud "EEP!" Turning around, they saw Naruto laughing as he smashed his piece of cake into Hinata's face.

It was Hinata's turn to fall back a few steps as she tried to wipe the frosting from her eyes. She looked at Naruto and asked, "How…How did you get over here so fast?"

His face still mostly covered in cake, he smirked and pointed at the ring on her hand. "Hiraishin seal, remember? I can transport to wherever you are instantly."

"You got cake all over my face, Naruto-kun! You ruined my makeup!"

His hands reached up and gently grabbed the sides of her face. He looked deep into her eyes and said, "You don't need makeup. You're more beautiful without it."

As their lips met, once again Hinata was amazed at what the seal did to her emotions. When Naruto had kissed her before, her lips would tingle and her heart would swell with joy. Now however, because the seal shared and amplified the feelings between them, those same emotions became a tidal wave that washed over her mind as well as her heart. It lifted her spirits and self-confidence not only hearing the truth behind his words, but feeling them as well.

The applause and whistles of encouragement died down as they broke the kiss. Naruto smiled and scraped some frosting off her cheek with his finger before tasting it and saying, "Wow, that's good. The chef did an excellent job; we'll have to send him a gift to say thank you for all of his hard work."

Hinata smiled, then handed him a napkin and said, "I'm going to go wash my face. Why don't you clean up as well, and then go and apologize to Gaara and Matsuri. You know that you should have told them such important news in private, rather than in front of everyone."

"Sure. We only have about an hour left here, and there are a few more people I have to talk to before we leave for tonight."

Hinata nodded and walked away, blushing as she did so. She was suddenly very aware that her night was far from over, and the thought of her honeymoon night made her very nervous.

As Naruto wiped his face clean and made his way through the crowd, he noticed Kakashi and Tsunade standing near the exit. He had wanted to talk with both of them before he left tonight anyway, and this seemed like a perfect opportunity to do so.

"Hello Baa-chan, Kakashi-sensei. You guys enjoying the party?"

Tsunade smiled at him and said, "Very much so, gaki. The booze here is top shelf, and who knew Hinata had a sense of humor? Smashing the cake in your face was absolutely priceless!"

Naruto rolled his eyes and said, "Gee, thanks Baa-chan. Glad to know that you're laughing at my expense. I'm really touched. However, that wasn't the reason why I came over here." He paused and took a deep breath before saying in a very serious tone, "I need a favor from you both."

Kakashi said, "Umm, sure Naruto. What can we do for you?"

"Please clear your schedule tomorrow afternoon, Kakashi-sensei. I need to see you, Baa-chan and Inoichi at your office at two o'clock and make sure that you're all well rested."

Tsunade narrowed her eyes and said, "That's a very strange request, Naruto. Care to elaborate as to why you need a meeting with the three of us?"

"I promise I'll answer your questions tomorrow, Baa-chan. But right now all I'm asking is that you trust me and set the meeting up. Can you do that for me?"

Kakashi and Tsunade passed a look between them before turning back to Naruto. Kakashi looked at him and said, "We'll honor your request, but we're going to need an explanation from you before we go any further."

"Understood, and you have my word that you'll get one." He smiled and said, "Now, if you'll excuse me I need to go apologize to Gaara and Matsuri. My lovely wife informed me that I was sorely lacking in manners when I disclosed some news to them earlier."

As Naruto walked off, Kakashi looked at Tsunade and asked, "What news?"

Tsunade smirked and said, "Oh, nothing much. Just that Matsuri is pregnant."

Just as Matsuri did, Kakashi did a spit take and sprayed sake everywhere. As Tsunade watched him cough loudly in an attempt to clear his throat, two thoughts immediately came to mind…

_That's the same reaction everyone else had when I told them. And how the hell did he do a spit take with that mask on?_

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the delay in getting this out to the masses…I did have about two thirds of this written when I released the last chapter, but I added some content based on the reviews I received. The worst part is that I hit a SERIOUS case of writer's block when this happened, and for those of you who don't write let me tell you it's a horrible feeling…you have all these ideas that you want to put into the story, you know where things are going and then…you got nothing. I struggled with making this chapter work and I hopefully everyone likes the result.

**_Recommendation time!_** Okay, I didn't have a recommendation for last chapter but I thought I'd throw out one for MattWilson83 and his epic graphic novel (still in progress, by the way) NaruHina Chronicles. This isn't a FanFiction story – even though he does write stories for the site – but rather his personal artwork over on DeviantArt. Right now the work is at almost 3,000 pages so if you're having NaruHina withdrawal symptoms, this thing is the perfect cure. Here is the link if you want to check out his work, remove the spaces and you know what to replace the stars with:

mattwilson83 . Deviantart . *** / gallery / 2433230

So…next chapter will be the big LEMON that everyone has been asking for! And it will be revealed as to what's going on between Kurama and Naruto. Chapter after that will probably have the last bit of stuff from Nube in it, then we move forward with the plot and my all new stuff. So many plotlines, so little time!

So leave those reviews! They help! I want them and love them! They help me write so let's see them!

That's all for now. Take care and stay safe.

.

Serious Sam


	10. Ch 9: When Life Gives You Lemons

9\. When Life Gives You Lemons

_Do you want it? Do you need it? Let me hear it! Ladies and Gentlemen, Chapter 9 is finally here!_

Okay, standard thanks once again to Nube de Cristal for allowing me to adopt this story, as well as to my anonymous beta for his help and support.

We finally made it…**this chapter contains the lemon scene everyone has been asking for, and I'm warning everyone about it now**. I've marked the beginning and end in case this is not your thing, as well as adding extra space before and after so you don't accidentally see something you don't want to see. You can skip over it if you like and still get any plot developments for the story.

I would also like to say that this is the very first lemon scene I've ever done, and for those of you that think writing smut is easy, think again – unless you want the entire thing to read like the script of a porn movie, it's very hard to make something both erotic and romantic at the same time. I now understand why it took over a month for KingKakashi to release the latest chapter of his **_Aftermath_** story due to the lemon scene he wrote – which he knocked out the park with how good it was – so please be kind when you leave your reviews.

As always, I love the reviews, and I appreciate when people take the time to leave one for me. As we're now getting into my original work, I really need everyone's help in making sure the story is great going forward and the reviews are the best way to make that happen. I'd like to hit 325 reviews after this chapter, and with the amount of people following me it should be a piece of cake. So take some time and post one!

**_Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto, and I think I'll wear some cologne for the big lemon scene coming in this chapter._**

**_Masashi Kishimoto – Which one are you gonna go with? London Gentleman, or Blackbeard's Delight?_**

**_Disclaimer – No, I'm going with a special one. It's called Sex Panther by Odeon. It's got real bits of panther in it so you know it's good._**

**_Masashi Kishimoto – Wow, that's a formidable scent. It stings the nostrils, but in a good way._**

**_Disclaimer – They've done studies on it, you know. They say sixty percent of the time, it works every time._**

**_Masashi Kishimoto – That doesn't make any sense. (+1 if you get the reference.)_**

* * *

Chapter 9 – When life gives you lemons…

The door to the hotel room opened, and two clones of Naruto entered the room and stood on either side of the doorway. Each carried a single piece of luggage, and they set the bags down before performing a flourishing bow as the real Naruto entered the hotel room, carrying Hinata in his arms.

Naruto turned around to look at the clones and said, "Okay, guys…Thanks for the help but I can take it from here."

The clones straightened before exchanging a disappointed glance and saying, "Aww…can't we stay for a bit and watch the festivities? You won't even know we're here, honest!"

"**NO**. Now get lost."

They both looked at him and pouted. "You're no fun at all." Then they disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

Hinata looked at Naruto with a raised eyebrow and asked, "Care to explain that?"

Naruto looked sheepishly at Hinata before setting her down. "Sorry about that. Even though they obey my orders, kage bunshin tend to have a mind of their own. They can be very frustrating to deal with sometimes, especially when I'm distracted."

"Oh." She looked around the hotel room. Even though Naruto had been staying here almost three weeks, she'd never been here before and if she hadn't known it was a hotel room, she would have sworn it was someone's apartment due to the size of it.

She blushed a bit and asked, "Naruto-kun, is there someplace I can wash up and…umm, change?"

"What? Oh, sure. You can use the bathroom at the end of the hall, and I'll use the one off of the main bedroom, which is the last door on the left."

"Thank you." She grabbed her bag and hurried down the hall, quickly shutting the door behind her and locking it. Closing her eyes and leaning her head against the door, she fought to get her rapidly beating heart under control.

_No more distractions, she thought to herself. No more wondering what it was like to wake up in his arms. This is fantasy become reality. This is real. If I want, Naruto-kun and I will become one tonight._

And she wanted it, more than anything. Without words, tonight she would let him know that she loved him. She would make his time with Sakura a distant memory.

Hinata undressed, taking great care to fold and put away her wedding kimono. Turning on the shower, she stood underneath the hot water for several minutes, letting it run over her body in the hopes that it would wash away her stress and calm her nerves. It seemed to help a little bit, however it couldn't completely disperse her anxiety about tonight because her mind was lost in thought about what was going to happen.

After several minutes she realized that she couldn't stay in the shower forever. The hotel had thoughtfully provided scented body gel and bath oils for her to use, and she used them to wash her body, taking great care to make sure every inch, every curve was pristine. Her fondest dream was coming true tonight, and everything needed to be perfect.

_It _**_should_**_ be perfect, she thought to herself. _**_I_**_ need to be perfect. For Naruto-kun._

She turned the water off and grabbed a towel from the rack, thoroughly drying her body off. She made sure to brush and dry her hair as well, before once again pinning it back with the combs Naruto had bought for her.

Taking a deep breath, she opened her bag and removed the lingerie Sakura told her to wear tonight. Holding it in front of her body, she looked at herself in the mirror as her thoughts went back to their conversation a few days ago…

**_***Flashback***_**

_"Now remember, you need to keep him waiting in anticipation because it will make his desire for you that much greater when you walk in the room. But don't wait too long, or he'll think something's wrong and you'll ruin the mood."_

_"But how…how long should I make him wait? How will I know?"_

_Sakura smiled and said, "Trust me; you have this instinct just like every woman does. You'll know when the time is right. Now, this is the outfit you're going to wear on your honeymoon."_

_She handed Hinata a knee length white lace nightgown with a tie front, along with a matching pair of high-cut lace panties. Both pieces were very sheer, leaving little to the imagination._

_Hinata asked, "Are you sure about this?"_

_"Absolutely. You wear this, and he won't be able to resist you. Besides that, the white color will be a subtle hint at what you represent to him, which is someone who is innocent and chaste."_

_Hinata looked doubtful as she asked, "Even though I'm Hikaru's mother?"_

_"That won't matter to him at all. He sees you as the embodiment of all that is good and pure, and you need to take advantage of that. Once he gets a look at you in this, nothing else in the world will matter to him but you. I guarantee it."_

**_***End Flashback***_**

Sighing, Hinata slipped her panties on and let the nightgown fall over her otherwise naked body, tying it shut with a bow between her breasts. She opened the bathroom, intent on entering the main bedroom when she noticed another door farther down the hallway had been left open. Curious, she approached it and looked inside.

She quickly realized that it was a second bedroom in the hotel room. The light had been turned on, and the covers on the bed had been folded back. There was no need to wonder who was responsible, because Naruto was the only person who could have done it.

It appeared that he was offering her the opportunity to change her mind about having a normal marriage, if she wished. It was actually rather sweet that he was trying to take her feelings into account, and wasn't forcing her to do anything she wasn't comfortable with. But despite her nervousness, her resolve was firm and there was nothing that would distract her from what this night would bring.

She turned around and walked back to the main bedroom, her hand pausing only a brief second before she turned the knob to open the door, not bothering to knock.

There was no need. He would know it was her because of the bond they shared.

She noticed him immediately, standing in front of the window with his hands clasped behind his back, looking out over the streets of Konoha. The moonlight shone through the glass, and she paused for a moment to admire his powerful figure. He was wearing a very tight dark blue t-shirt and pants, and she could see every well-defined muscle as it rippled beneath the fabric.

She closed the door and turned back to him. Only half of the room and part of the bed were illuminated, and she walked forward out of the darkness and stepped into the light. As she did so, he turned around to look at her, his eyes immediately changing color to a deep cobalt blue.

His gaze instantly drank in every curve of her body, every nuance of how she moved. He noticed her hair had been pinned back with the combs that he'd bought for her, exposing the nape of her neck and he had to fight the urge to press his lips there and taste her deliciousness. The length of her hair continued down around her shoulders and fell to the middle of her back, while her panties enhanced the beauty of her long and perfectly toned legs. Her flawless pale skin seemed to glow in the moonlight, which intensified his desire for her as a lump formed in his throat and he swallowed hard.

After a few moments, Hinata couldn't take the silence anymore and timidly asked, "Do you like it?"

Naruto nodded slowly and in a deep, husky voice said, "Yes. Very much."

Her eyes locked onto his as she slowly and deliberately walked towards him. Her hands came up and she attempted to pull at the bow she had tied in the front of her nightgown, fully intent on offering herself to him but they were shaking so much from nervousness that she couldn't complete the act.

Naruto noticed this and quickly stepped forward, capturing her hands in his. "Hinata-hime, are you okay? Why are you shaking?"

As she looked at him, her eyes became moist and he could tell she was on the verge of tears. She bit her lower lip and answered, "Because this…this night is supposed to be special. I want it to be perfect for you, and I'm worried that I'll do something stupid and ruin it. I know it's going to happen, I just know it…"

He raised his eyebrows upon hearing her confession, and he could honestly say that he was neither surprised nor shocked. Despite the progress she'd made recently, in some ways she was still the shy and scared girl he remembered from their childhood days.

His right hand came up and lovingly cupped her cheek. "Hinata, please listen to me. This night is already special because you're here with me, and right now I can't think of anything I've ever seen in my entire life that's more beautiful than you. I'm honored that you've chosen not only share this night with me, but the rest of your life as well."

Hinata nuzzled her cheek into his hand and whispered, "Thank you, Naruto-kun."

He used his thumb to stroke away some tears that had fallen on her cheek. Smiling, he looked at her and said, "Don't be nervous. We'll make this night special together. I promise."

**_***Danger, Will Robinson! Lemon Scene Ahead!***_**

* * *

Naruto placed his hands lovingly on either side of her face, and slowly lowered his lips to brush against hers. He kissed her lightly, wanting her to feel as if a butterfly were dancing across her lips as he continued to touch them with his own. This was their first night together and he wanted to savor the experience, memorizing every part of her body in vivid detail.

Hinata stood with her eyes closed as Naruto continued to softly kiss her. As gentle as the wind, his lips worked their magic over hers, making them tingle every moment that they touched. He was so loving, so delicate with each stroke of his lips, and all she knew was that she wanted more. As she raised her arms to wrap them around his neck, he gently grabbed her wrists and stopped them from moving.

This action caught Hinata by surprise, and she opened her eyes to see Naruto staring at her.

"No."

She couldn't tear herself away from his powerful gaze as she said, "What?"

"Don't move, Hinata-hime. Just enjoy the pleasure I'm giving you and allow me to be in charge for a bit."

The hunger in his eyes made her tremble, and all she could think about was how sexy his voice sounded at that moment. She swallowed hard and nodded her head yes, wondering how long she would be able to stay still under his constant attention.

He smiled and dipped his head to hers once again, but this time instead of gently kissing her, his tongue came out and lightly traced the outline of her lips. He made sure to do it slowly, so that he could feel and taste every luscious part. As he continued, her mouth opened slightly and gasped in pleasure and he took advantage of the opportunity, lightly swiping her lips and inviting her tongue to come forth.

She quickly did so; however Naruto didn't immediately latch their lips together, but instead kept them from touching as his tongue danced with hers. As they continued to taste one another, his hands came up and resumed their place on either side of her face. However, this time they began to move, his touch light as a feather as he traced a path along her jaw and down her neck, fascinated with how soft her skin was and relishing the feel of every inch that the nightgown wasn't covering up.

For her part, Hinata was struggling to stay still as her body screamed for release beneath his hands. His touch was frustrating; she knew that he was driving her mad with desire and teasing her on purpose, but was unable to act because of her promise to him and the fact that her mouth was otherwise occupied.

Naruto continued to caress her body with his fingertips, as they now abandoned her bare skin and continued down the side of her body before stopping at her hips. His hands came around to meet again in the front and he ran them upwards, knowing she was aware of where they were headed and feeling the muscles of her stomach quiver in anticipation. As he reached her breasts, he turned his hands over and stroked her nipples with the backs of his fingers, causing them to immediately become hard.

Soft exclamations of pleasure and excitement came from Hinata, as she relished the sensations Naruto was creating within her as every touch of his hand, every stroke of his fingers sent shivers down her spine. She could feel the heat of his passion magnified by the seal, her mind in overdrive from the sensual thrill of his fingernails as they stimulated every nerve beneath her skin.

His fingertips returned to tracing a path along the outside curve of her breasts before meeting in the center and traveling down her cleavage to the bow that held her nightgown closed. Gently pulling it apart, he let it hang open as his hands returned to her neck and traveled downward, brushing her shoulders and letting the garment fall to the floor.

At this point, he pulled away from her and took a step back to admire her body. Holding her hands, he raised her arms out to her sides while his eyes took in the view before him. He stared at her, taking in every inch of what he saw, smiling as he did so.

Hinata squirmed under his intense gaze and tried to hide herself from him, but his grip on her hands prevented it. Blushing, she looked at him and said, "Naruto-kun, please don't stare at me."

"I'm sorry, Hinata-hime. You're just so beautiful I can't help myself."

She blushed even more, before he dropped her right hand and led her over to the window, stopping her in front of the glass. He reached up and pulled the combs out, sliding his hands through her indigo colored hair; fascinated by the way it glowed in the moonlight. He combed his fingers through it, taking his time to feel every strand before easing her bare back onto the glass, causing her to jump slightly.

"Naruto! What are you doing? That's cold!"

He grinned at her and said, "I know. That's the idea." He took her hands and placed the palms against the window. Pressing his body against hers, he breathed softly into her ear…

"Now, no matter what happens…don't take your hands off the glass." He pulled back and looked deep into her eyes and said, "Can you do that for me?"

Once again, she nodded her head yes. There was little she could do; she was far too nervous at this point to even think of taking control. Anticipation ran through her heart; everything Naruto was doing was like the fantasies she'd had about him when they were younger, only this time they were real.

He came forward, but this time rather than having his lips gently brush hers he kissed her passionately, licking her lips once again to demand entrance to her mouth. She opened it willingly, her lips soft yet providing the perfect amount of resistance as her tongue once again danced with his, fighting for dominance.

He slowly slid his hands up along her sides, coming around to her ribcage before cupping her breasts, squeezing them gently and making Hinata moan lustfully into his mouth. After a few moments, Naruto broke away from her lips and began to place small kisses along the edge of her jaw, slowly moving down to the nape of her neck. Her lips remained parted as he nibbled and sucked his way to the hollow between her neck and shoulder before planting his lips and twirling his tongue on the spot.

The sensation sent a new wave of shivers down her spine. The heat in her core was rising rapidly, and it was fighting against the cold of the window against her back. It was like she was freezing and sweating at the same time, and her body was quivering in response to the feeling. Her eyes rolled back into her head and she arched her chest towards him in pleasure as she moaned, "Naru-kun, that feels so good..."

So lost in pleasure was Hinata, that she didn't feel Naruto's right hand move along her thigh and turn inward as he found the valley between her legs and began to stroke her swollen lips through her panties. She inhaled sharply and pushed her hips forward as his middle finger went up and down her full length several times, before settling on her clitoris and rubbing it with a gentle force in a circular pattern.

Hinata's body shivered under his efforts, wanting to reach up and fist his hair yet trying desperately to keep her hands on the glass per his instructions. Her body was covered in a light sheen of perspiration, and she was growing dizzy with arousal as his fingers worked their magic on her nether region. She let out an uncontrollable gasp as she bucked her hips against him and cried out, "Oh Kami, Naru-kun…Don't stop! Don't you dare stop!"

He began to move faster, pressing her clitoris harder through the sheer fabric of her panties and sending new shockwaves throughout her body. He left the nape of her neck and pressed his lips even harder against hers, shoving his tongue back into her mouth to smother her overpowering admission of need, as he felt her quickly reaching the apex of pleasure.

Her orgasm consumed her as she climaxed, her scream of ecstasy held back by his mouth as she seized up underneath him while her juices soaked through her panties. She continued to moan as he slowly stopped fingering her clitoris and moved his hands upwards on either side of her waist until they rested beneath her arms.

His lips left hers and proceeded once again to nibble and kiss a path along her jaw and down the front of her neck. Hinata was panting heavily, her eyes still closed as she enjoyed the afterglow of the orgasm that Naruto had just given her. However, her pleasure quickly turned to anxiety as she realized that his kisses hadn't stopped at her neck but continued south, settling on her left breast. He licked his way around her areola enticingly before sucking her erect nipple into his mouth and flicking it lightly with his tongue.

A spike of pleasure shot through her, and it was all she could do not to move and press his head harder against her chest. He moaned, and the vibrations from that action sent another round of shivers through her body as she quietly begged, "Naru-kun, please…please let me move."

"Shhh, not just yet Hinata-hime. Very soon though, I promise."

His mouth moved to her right breast, giving it the same attention as her left before returning to the valley between them. His hands continued to travel down her sides before interlacing his fingers around the top of her lace panties. As he continued to kiss a path down her stomach, his hands pushed her panties down her legs and to the floor, exposing her most intimate of areas for him to finally see. A small triangle of hair graced the top, and he noticed her outer folds were just as perfect as the rest of her body.

Just as Hinata was about to say something, Naruto clamped his lips down and shoved his tongue deep inside her. She inhaled sharply as he did so; the action sending a shockwave through her core and she thrust her hips at him, her body screaming for attention as she trembled and squirmed beneath his technique. Her head began to thrash about as she felt herself begin to reach another climax, the cold from the window the only constant as she strained to keep her hands in place. On impulse, she lifted her leg and hooked it around his neck, pressing his face against her and driving his tongue deeper into her body.

The action was apparently the right one, as Naruto moaned into her folds and doubled his efforts, pushing her to the brink. Her breathing quickly became more rapid, and feeling that she was ready to hit her apex once again she screamed, "OH MY KAMI, NARU-KUN! I'M CUMMING, I'M CUMMING!"

Her second orgasm of the night hit her like a ton of bricks and Naruto licked her clean, making her jump every time his tongue flicked her clitoris. Every part of her body not leaning against the cold window was sweating as her eyes rolled back in her head, eyelids slightly open as she panted heavily from exertion and passion, her legs weak and threatening to give out from under her.

Smiling, Naruto stood back up and brought his lips close to her ear and whispered, "I hope you enjoyed that, my hime. You can move now, if you like."

Still dizzy from her last orgasm, the words Naruto spoke seemed to bring her back to reality. Her eyes snapped open, looking at him with undisguised hunger as a growl escaped from her throat and she shoved him backwards onto the bed. Leaving him no time to be shocked or surprised she pounced on him, her hands shredding his shirt before moving to his pants and ripping them off.

Now that he was naked as well, she paused for a moment to drink in the sight of his naked body and look at his arousal. She was ashamed to admit it, but there were a few times – well, more than a few actually – when she had used her byakugan to 'peek' at Naruto when they were teenagers. She had been impressed with what she had seen then, but it was nothing compared to what she saw **_now._**

To say that he was 'gifted' would be an understatement. Not that she had seen very many, but in her opinion Naruto was quite large and the size of it both excited and frightened her. She wondered if his member would even fit inside of her but then she thought, _If his tongue practically drove me insane, how good will this feel?_

She hovered over him for a second before her lips crashed down onto his, practically raping his mouth with her own. Her tongue moved at a frenzied pace with his, as she ran her hands along his bare chest before sliding them down to trace his rippling abdominal muscles. Feeling bold, her right hand continued down his stomach and grasped his length, stroking it firmly yet delicately and making him moan in delight.

Not ready to cede control of the situation just yet, Naruto grabbed her waist and rolled over, pinning her underneath him. Surprisingly, Hinata never relinquished her grip on his manhood and continued to stroke it, her hand steadily moving faster. He broke the kiss and began to nibble on her earlobe as he breathed in her ear, "Oh, Hinata…"

She couldn't stand it anymore. Every emotion he had brought out in her tonight – pleasure, passion, desire – were mixing together with his and she felt like was drowning in an ocean of lust. Struggling to contain her excitement and craving release, she let go of his arousal and wrapped her arms around his neck before saying in a breathless voice, "Naruto-kun, take me…Take me right now!"

Lost in the same sea of lust that Hinata was, his only thought was to immediately comply with her request. Positioning himself at her entrance, he rubbed against her folds in order to lubricate himself properly for when he entered her.

Acting on instinct alone, Hinata raised her legs and tightened them around his waist. Taking it as a sign to continue, Naruto groaned and thrust into her in one swift motion, letting out a hiss as he did so.

He suddenly felt her tense underneath him and dig her nails into his back. Looking down at her, he noticed her eyes were squeezed shut and a flicker of pain had crossed her face. He cursed at himself, thinking it was her first time until he remembered that even though she had given birth to Hikaru, she hadn't had sex with anyone since then. Despite the fact that she wasn't a virgin, it probably felt the same to her and he was ashamed that he had forgotten and hurt her in the process.

He looked at her with concern in his eyes and asked, "Hinata, are you alright?"

Her eyes remained closed as she pressed her lips together and nodded. She didn't want to look at him, worried that she had ruined the moment.

His right hand came up and brushed her hair away from her face as he said, "Hinata, please open your eyes and look at me."

She complied with his request, afraid of what she might see. To her surprise, he wasn't angry in the slightest and his face only showed tenderness and concern for her.

"Hinata, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you; I just couldn't stop myself…"

She cut him off and said, "Shh. I know you didn't mean to. Just…give me a minute, okay?"

He nodded, waiting patiently for the look of pain on her face to vanish. When he saw that she wasn't wincing anymore, he took that as a sign to continue and moved inside her once again. This time, he saw her face twinge for a moment before it quickly went away, giving him the approval and confidence to go faster.

Hinata felt her heart beating fast, and as the pain receded every sensation seemed to get better. Her nether region was the origin of it all; delivering pleasure throughout the nerves to every area of her body as she made no attempt to conceal the steady stream of whimpers and moans that escaped her mouth. Her brain was on overload, having difficulty processing the amount of stimulation it was receiving as Naruto plunged into her over and over again, seemingly without mercy.

Her opening was stretched so tightly that Hinata felt her body quiver around his immense shaft, tormented by numerous tremors that seemed similar to the orgasms she had earlier, yet smaller in nature. She was lost in the exhilarating feeling of his length as it drove into her, filling her absolutely and forcing her pleasure higher, growing like a living thing as it threatened to overwhelm them both. She gasped as he quickened his pace, slamming into her harder and harder, her muscles trembling in response as he pushed himself deeper into her.

The added intensity was immensely powerful, as the need to be closer and lose themselves in each other grew. She moaned loudly, her eyes closing as Naruto continued to thrust into her, driving her closer to release. Suddenly, her back arched as every corner of her body seemed to explode with sexual energy. Her inner walls tightened around him and she threw her head back, eyes wide as she hit her third orgasm of the night and she screamed in ecstasy, "NARU-KUN! I'M…I'M CUMMING AGAIN! GIVE ME EVERYTHING YOU HAVE! MAKE ME YOURS FOREVER!"

Naruto growled as her whole body began to twitch and shudder underneath him, ravaged by the force of her climax as wave after wave of pleasure washed over her. He continued to rapidly thrust into her in an attempt to prolong her orgasm, the sensations never seeming to end as her nails raked his back, drawing blood before the wounds quickly healed.

Her body was rocked by the strength of his thrusts but she didn't complain, instead savoring every bit of what he was giving her. He didn't stop his assault, working in circular motions with his hips as he bumped and rubbed inside her, hitting the most sensitive spots and sending constant jolts of pleasure up her spine and throughout her body.

Naruto hunched over her, still foolishly thinking that he could hold back his release but knowing that he was already past the point of no return. A few moments later he joined her, throwing back his head and shouting, "OH KAMI, HINATA! I'M CUMMING TOO!" And he slammed into her one last time before pressing his body over hers, emptying his seed while Hinata went wild beneath him, clamping down on him almost painfully and milking him for all he was worth.

After their mutual orgasms had waned, their bodies twitched for a few moments as they both spent what little energy they had left before finally growing still. Without thought, Naruto kissed the nape of her neck intimately before he slid out of her and rolled over onto his back, his heart pounding in his chest as he attempted to gather his second wind.

* * *

**_***You're Safe Now, Will Robinson. Lemon Scene Ends!***_**

Her body weak and glistening with sweat, Hinata continued to breathe heavily, lost in the afterglow of what she had just experienced. Dizzy and disoriented, she dragged her body across Naruto and rested her head against his chest as a profound feeling of tiredness came over her.

The two of them lay together for a few minutes; Hinata making soft sounds of contentment as Naruto caressed her back and side lovingly. Just as she was about to slip into an exhausted slumber, his hand suddenly stopped and he said, "_Hinata._"

Hearing the hunger in his voice, her eyes snapped open and she slowly lifted her head to look at him. He was looking back at her, a lecherous grin spread across his face.

"I hope you're not going to sleep. Because we're not even close to being finished yet."

* * *

Morning came in Konoha, the sun rising in the east as the village prepared to meet the day. Shopkeepers opened their doors for customers and vendors displayed their goods in the marketplace, both hawking their wares for the crowds of people that started to gather in the streets.

However, in a hotel across town a newly married couple continued to sleep, oblivious to the world around them. Despite their efforts, the curtains in the hotel couldn't keep the light from leaking into the room and illuminating the faces of everyone there.

And where there should have been only two people present, instead there were three.

Steel gray eyes studied the couple in bed, as he remembered the events of the previous day. He had never seen his mother look so beautiful, and even though she was nervous – and somewhat speechless – at various points of the ceremony, he couldn't help but notice the look on her face when Naruto had picked him up for a group hug. Up until that point, he had felt a twinge of jealousy because he now had to share his mother's affections with someone else, but after that one action he realized that it didn't matter to him anymore. Naruto had promised to protect and care for them both always, and Hikaru knew that he never went back on his word no matter what.

Right now, his mother was lying in the bed with Naruto curled up against her, his head resting on her shoulder. The covers had been pulled up; hiding everything below her chest and his neck, and both of them wore a look of contentment on their faces.

Hikaru couldn't remember the last time he had seen his mother this happy, and it was apparent that Naruto was the one responsible for it, although he had no idea how he'd done it. Maybe later he could ask Naruto to repeat whatever it was he did because he wanted his mother to be happy all the time…

His line of thought was broken as Hinata sighed, turning her head towards him and wearily opening her eyes.

"Good morning, mom."

Still half asleep, Hinata smiled and said, "Good morning, sweetie."

Suddenly realizing where she was and who she was with, she quickly pulled the covers of the bed up to her neck, hiding Naruto's head. Fighting the urge to wake up and be part of a conversation he had no interest in, the blond slid further down her body before finally settling underneath her chest, his arm squeezing her waist tightly.

"Hikaru!" she hissed quietly at him, somewhat upset. "What are you doing here?"

The boy looked at the ground, thinking he probably shouldn't be here right now. His hands were in his pockets as he said, "I…I wanted to see you and make sure you were okay."

She looked at him curiously and asked, "Why wouldn't I be okay? And what about your classes at the academy?"

He raised his head to look at his mother again and said, "Well, I was on my way there when I heard some people in the village saying very bad things."

"Exactly what did they say?"

"Something about a demon, and that maybe you'd be gone. Or that there would be very little of you left to find."

Hinata was angry, and somewhat annoyed. It seemed that no matter how much Naruto did for the village, there would still be people who would hate him from the shadows. Her look became hard as she asked, "How many people did you hear saying that?"

Hikaru tilted his head in thought before he answered, "Not many. Most of the people I heard were talking about that adoption thing the old lady gave you both yesterday."

A snort of laughter came from underneath the blanket before they both heard a sleepy voice respond, "Old lady. That's funny."

She blushed, slightly embarrassed at where the words had come from before saying, "Hikaru, please come over here."

"Are you mad at me?"

"No sweetie, not with you. I promise."

As Hikaru approached the bed, Hinata snaked her arm out from underneath the covers and took his hand. She looked at him and said, "I want you to understand something. When I was little, Naruto-kun was very important to me. He gave me strength when I had none, and inspiration when I needed it most. He's pledged himself to both of us, and now we're **_his_** strength and inspiration. From now on, it's important that we grow as a family, not only for Naruto-kun but for each other." She smiled at him and asked, "Can you help me do that?"

Hikaru watched his mother intently as she made the statement, trying to determine if she was lying but found only truth and honesty in her gaze. He thought about it for a moment before reminding himself that she had given everything for him, and now it was his turn to give his mother something back.

He smiled and said, "I'll help you out, mom. I promise."

"Thank you, Hikaru. I'm happy to hear you say that."

The room remained quiet for a few seconds before Hikaru decided to break the silence.

"Mom?"

"Yes, sweetie?"

"Are you naked under the covers?"

Hinata looked away from Hikaru as she blushed furiously and said, "Umm…"

"Naruto seems to be."

She didn't think it was possible, but her face turned even redder as she tried to hide her embarrassment from her son.

"Mom, why are you both naked?"

Another snort of laughter came from underneath the covers as a humorous voice said, "Yes mom, why are we both naked?"

She seemed to find the strength she'd had these past eight years upon hearing that statement. Her blush quickly fading, she looked at her son and said, "Hikaru, please wait outside."

"But you didn't answer my…"

She cut him off with authority. "Now. End of discussion."

Hikaru realized that she was getting angry, and he left the room quickly to wait in the hall, shutting the door behind him.

Hinata threw the covers back, glaring at Naruto. He saw the look on her face from the corner of his eye and rolled over onto his back, grinning mischievously at her as he rested his head on her stomach.

"Well, you're in a good mood this morning."

"You know it. And by the way, why didn't you answer Hikaru's question?"

"Why don't you watch what you say around him?"

"Because it's more fun this way. And now that we're both up…" He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at her and finished, "…how about another sparring session at my personal training ground?"

"Pervert!" Hinata quickly gave him a jyuuken strike to his stomach, driving the air out of him. "When did you get so full of yourself?"

"Oof!" Still smiling, he wrapped his arms around his midsection as he rolled off of her. "I've always been full of myself. You just haven't seen it before now."

In the blink of an eye he moved; his look smoldering as he knelt over her on all fours. His lips suddenly descended upon hers, awakening her senses and sending a shiver of pleasure down her spine. After a few moments he reluctantly broke off the kiss and leaned back a bit before his right hand came up to lovingly caress her cheek.

"And how is my wife today?"

She smiled and answered, "I'm happy, my husband."

He continued to trace his fingers along her jaw, mesmerized by the paleness of her skin. "You look beautiful this morning. Especially after being so properly loved by me."

Hinata cocked an eyebrow at him and asked, "You think you were that good?"

He smirked and said, "Absolutely. If I had to rate my performance on a scale of one to ten, I'd most certainly get an eleven."

She frowned at him for being so self-absorbed, but she did have to admit that he was right. He was practically perfect last night, as he'd made love to her not just once but several times over, finally deciding to let them get some rest a few hours after midnight.

Raising her hand to grasp the back of his neck she replied, "I'll be the judge of that. Besides, we have the rest of our lives to see if you can improve on last night."

Upon hearing this, his heartbeat quickened and his blue eyes gazed at her intensely as he said, "You have no idea how much it drives me crazy to hear you talk like that, Hinata-hime."

She was finding it hard to contain herself as she purred, "You'll just have to show me, Naruto-kun." And she pulled his head down, ready to meet his lips in a passionate kiss when she heard a voice from the other side of the hotel door.

"Hey! What are you guys doing in there? Are you coming out soon? I'm hungry!"

Naruto looked at Hinata and asked, "Didn't he have breakfast before leaving for the academy?"

"Of course he did. But he has the same problem as someone else I know." A growl came from his belly as she continued, "And that's a stomach without a bottom."

Discouraged at being interrupted, he sighed and said, "Okay. Let's get dressed and get some breakfast; then we can all spend the morning together. Hikaru doesn't have to go to the academy today."

"Only the morning? What about the rest of the day?"

He looked apologetic as he said, "Sorry, Hinata-hime. I have two very important appointments today at noon and two o'clock and I can't miss them no matter what. But I should be done by three; how about I spend an hour or so with Hikaru doing some training and then after that we can get cleaned up and go out to dinner someplace?"

She looked at him and said appreciatively, "That sounds nice. Thank you, Naruto-kun."

"No need to thank me. Both of you are my precious people, after all."

Hinata gazed into his sapphire blue eyes and saw the sincerity behind his words. Her heart swelled, knowing she finally had the life and the husband she always wanted…

…and now all she needed to make everything complete was his love.

* * *

The morning passed faster than Naruto had thought possible, probably due to the fact that he and Hinata had slept in very late. Normally breakfast would have been a quick event, but Naruto had gotten into an eating contest with Hikaru and even though he'd eventually won, Naruto left the restaurant impressed by Hikaru's eating skills. The only person who hadn't been impressed was Hinata, who stared at them both throughout most of the meal with a disapproving look on her face.

Since today was his last day at the hotel, he thought it would be a good idea for Hinata to start shopping for the new house. He provided her with his bank account number and told her to spend the rest of the afternoon picking out furniture, promising to meet them both at the Hyūga estate by three o'clock.

As Hinata left with Hikaru in tow, he saw a smile light up her face with happiness. It appeared that his decision to let her decorate the house was the right one, as he suddenly realized that with this one simple gesture he'd given Hinata complete control over something for the first time in her life. Although he was sure Hinata would enjoy the afternoon shopping, he didn't think Hikaru felt the same way about it and next time he might think twice about skipping his classes at the academy.

With about a minute to spare, Naruto walked into the Bank of Konoha and stepped up to the front desk. The woman sitting there stopped what she was working on and said, "May I help you, sir?"

"Yes, I need to speak to the manager of the bank. I have a rather large transaction to complete with the Hyūga clan, and…"

She immediately smiled and said, "Ah, yes…We've been expecting you, Lord Namikaze. The office you're looking for is down that hall, last door on the left. Would you like me to bring you something to drink before your meeting?"

"Umm, no thank you. And you can just call me Naruto."

She shook her head and said, "I'm sorry sir, but I can't do that. It's bank policy that proper respect must be given at all times, especially for clan heads."

Right, clan heads. He'd forgotten that one little bit of information when he'd decided to take his father's name. Feeling uncomfortable at hearing his new title, he nodded and quickly walked down the hall to the manager's office, and upon entering he noticed that one important person was missing from the group.

The woman behind the desk rose from her seat and said, "Welcome, Lord Namikaze. I'm Kohada, manager here at the Bank of Konoha. I believe you already know Neji Hyūga, correct?"

Neji bowed his head slightly and said, "Hello, Naruto. You appear to be a bit distracted this afternoon; are you feeling okay?"

Feeling embarrassed, Naruto placed a hand at the back of his neck and said, "Uh, yeah. It was a long night, and then Hikaru woke us up early this morning."

Surprised, Neji raised his eyebrows and asked, "Hikaru woke you up? He shouldn't have been there at all. What was he doing at your hotel room?"

"It's a long story; I'll fill you in after we're done. Speaking of which, where's Hiashi?"

Neji grinned and said, "He didn't deem this meeting important enough for him to attend, so he allowed me to handle it." He leaned over and whispered, "Personally, I think he's intimidated by you and your negotiating skills."

Naruto grinned back at him. "I like your explanation better. Let's just go with that."

Seeing that their attention was now back on her, Kohada looked and them and said, "Now then, gentlemen. The Hyūga clan requested this meeting, but neglected to inform me of the purpose. What can I do for you?"

Naruto took the Namikaze checkbook out of his pocket and slid it across the counter to the bank manager. "I want you to transfer the funds from this account over to the general account of the Hyūga clan. Please provide me with two receipts confirming the transaction; one for my records and one for Neji to bring back to Hiashi."

Kohada picked up the ledger and read the balance, her eyes becoming wide. "Sir, do you realize that you're transferring five hundred thousand Ryo to the Hyūga clan?"

Naruto nodded. "I realize this, yes."

"You'll have to sign an authorization to complete the request due to the amount being so large."

"That's fine. Please go and get the authorization form, and Neji and I will wait for you here."

Kohada nodded and left the office to get the form. As soon as she did, Naruto turned to Neji and asked, "Did you bring documents I asked for?"

Neji produced two scrolls and handed them over to Naruto. He opened the first, which happened to be the marriage agreement for Hanabi and Konohamaru before moving on to the second document, which was the message to Lord Isamu declining his marriage proposal. Both were signed by Hiashi and affixed at the bottom with the Hyūga family seal.

As Naruto continued to scan the documents, he noticed that both of them had been professionally drawn up. He turned to Neji and said, "These appear to be skillfully worded. I'm hoping they were created under your supervision."

Neji nodded at him and said, "I wrote the general outlines last night, and then hired an independent counsel – one recommended by Kakashi – to create legally binding documents. I personally guarantee that they're ironclad, and no loopholes exist for my uncle to either exploit or render them null and void."

"Very nice. I appreciate the hard work you put into making sure they couldn't be altered."

"The pleasure is mine, Naruto. Frankly, I was disgusted with my uncle when I learned of what he'd done and even though your methods were a bit…shall we say, unconventional…it's the end result that truly matters." He bowed his head and finished, "Hinata, Hanabi, Konohamaru and I all owe you a great debt for your efforts."

Naruto was about to say something when Kohada walked back into the room with the form Naruto requested in hand.

"Here we are, Lord Namikaze. Standard document; this will transfer the sum of five hundred thousand Ryo from the Namikaze estate account to the Hyūga clan general account. I just need to your initials here…here…and then sign here at the bottom."

Naruto did as instructed, and she rolled up the form and said, "Thank you. I'll have copies drawn up immediately; one will be delivered to each estate within the hour. Seals will be placed on them so that only you two gentlemen will be able to open the documents. Will that be acceptable?"

Saying yes, both men rose from their seats and bowed, thanking the bank manager before walking out of her office and leaving the bank. Once outside, Naruto turned and said, "So, Neji. I've got some time to kill before my next meeting at two o'clock. Care to join me for lunch? I'm buying…"

"Thank you for the offer, Naruto. I'll gladly accept, as long as it's someplace other than Ichiraku Ramen."

Throwing up his hands, Naruto exclaimed, "What does everyone have against ramen?" He rolled his eyes and said, "Fine. We're close to Akimichi barbeque, how about we go there?"

Neji nodded in agreement, and they walked along in silence for a bit before Naruto spoke up.

"So, I couldn't help but overhear you on the dance floor at the reception. Six kids, huh?"

Neji smiled and said, "I thought it was a nice round number to start with. Tenten had a few things to say about it, though…"

"I thought she might." Naruto paused for a moment before he said, "Any chance you'll name one of your children after me?"

Neji stopped dead in his tracks and stared at Naruto for a few seconds before answering, "You're out of your mind. There's absolutely no chance of that happening."

"C'mon, Neji…You just said that you guys owe me a great debt, and I think if you name one of your kids after me, we can call it even."

Neji was never more serious in his life as he said, "Naruto, I agree that we owe you a great debt. But there isn't enough money in all of Konoha to convince me to name one of my children **_Naruto Hyūga_**."

* * *

A/N: So, hopefully everyone who read the lemon scene liked my work. Like I said earlier, it's not the easiest stuff to write but hopefully I put forth a good first effort.

Now, I know that most of you remembered from the end of last chapter I'd promised two things…the lemon scene, and the reveal as to what's been going on between Kurama and Naruto. You got one, but not the other and people will want to know why I did this. It's very simple, actually…I lied! I screwed up! My dog ate my homework! Seriously though, I had to put it off until the next chapter because it was simply too big to put at the end of this one. But I promise and pinky swear that it will be the next thing I write.

**_No recommendation this week. I'm still encouraging everyone to read the NaruHina Chronicles on DeviantArt by MattWilson83. There's almost three-thousand pages of NaruHina goodness to whet your appetite, so check it out. Link is in my previous chapter._**

So…next chapter is the Kurama and Naruto reveal, and then we hit a timeskip forward for a few months in the story. New stuff coming down the pipeline, so leave those reviews because they really do help. And the more reviews I get, the faster I write. The faster I write, the closer we get to Naruto finding out who Hikaru's father really is.

That's all for now. Take care and stay safe.

.

Serious Sam


	11. Ch 10: Spin The Threads of Fate

**10\. Spin the Threads of Fate **

**Deep in the man sits fast his fate…To mold his fortunes, mean or great…Obeying time, the last to own…It watches from its cloudy throne…Behold, it's Chapter 10.**

Okay…this will be the last chapter in which I give my standard thanks to Nube de Cristal for allowing me to adopt her story. From here on out it should be implied since the content going forward will be entirely original content on my part.

I also want to thank my anonymous beta for his continued help and support.

Now, I just to mention something about the reviews. I know I ask for them – as does every writer here on FanFiction – and I tell everyone that I read them all, and make adjustments to the story based on what they say. But the question remains, how do you know if this is true? Well, just as an example I'll reference two items…the first was from chapter 8, when everyone was out on the dance floor. That idea came from a suggestion that **Chewie Cookies** sent me. And later in this chapter, you'll see a small reference to how Hikaru got into the hotel room which came from the review of **Titokhan**. There are several others, but all I'm trying to say is that your reviews actually do help me write. So please continue to leave them!

I'm also giving people the heads-up that there are pieces of this chapter that may shock you a bit. However, please read to the end and I promise to explain everything. Just don't freak out on me, okay?

**_Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto, but be warned…Konoha is headed for a disaster of epic proportions._**

**_Masashi Kishimoto – What do you mean, epic proportions?_**

**_Disclaimer – I'm talking real wrath of God type stuff. Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies! Rivers and seas boiling!_**

**_Masashi Kishimoto – Sounds bad. Anything else?_**

**_Disclaimer – Forty years of darkness! The dead rising from the grave! Human sacrifice, dogs and cats, living together…MASS HYSTERIA!_**

**_Masashi Kishimoto – All right, all right! I get the point! (+1 if you get the reference.)_**

* * *

Chapter 10: Spin the Threads of Fate

Lunch with Neji had been pleasant, both of them reminiscing about the old days – if you could call them that, since they were both only twenty-six years old – when things were carefree and simple. About a time when the only things to worry about were the basics of life, before responsibilities and family came along and fate decided on a whim to change the course of human events.

And the more he thought about it, the more convinced he was that _fate was an evil son of a bitch_ and _hindsight was his twisted sidekick_.

A long time ago, he'd helped convince Neji that a person's fate wasn't predestined, but instead could be changed for the better. Lately, Naruto had made great strides in drawing a new path for himself, but he couldn't keep his thoughts from straying to the 'what if' scenarios of his past. Looking back, there were many things he would have changed but the biggest regret he had by far was not acknowledging Hinata and her feelings for him right after the fight with Pain.

It would have changed so much in his life. The heartbreak of his relationship with Sakura and his time with the Mienai Segi wouldn't have happened, and he would have been with Hinata right from the start, reciprocating her love and saving her from years of public ridicule and scorn.

He was the one responsible for all of it. If only…

**_His thoughts were interrupted by a familiar source. Kit, if you continue with this line of thinking you'll only drive yourself mad. Trying to unravel the mysteries of the past is indeed a fool's errand._**

_Don't you ever wonder about stuff like this, Kurama? How life could have been different by changing one little thing?_

**_There have been many times I've thought about my existence and the choices I've made. However, through it all I've come to understand that the past is nothing but a weight that sits upon your shoulders, and the more you dwell upon it the heavier it becomes, making you less capable of living in the present._**

Naruto stopped in front of the entrance to the Hokage tower and thought about that. _Does it ever go away? This feeling of regret?_

**_There was a long pause before Kurama answered. No, not really. Time cannot erase these wounds, only diminish them. I'd advise you to learn from the mistakes that you've made, and realize that everything you've endured has worked together to bring you to this moment, allowing you to make the choice for a better future, not only for yourself but for the family you now possess._**

_In your experience, have you ever found something that makes the memories less painful?_

**_Actually, yes. The right person can be a powerful influence, providing a strong foundation and allowing the wounds of the soul to heal._**

As Naruto climbed the stairs to Kakashi's office, a picture of his lovely wife came to mind. _You mean like Hinata?_

**_Correct._**

_And who was that person for you?_

**_Another pause. In all honesty it was you, Naruto. In all my years of existence, you were the first person – with the exception of the Sage of the Six Paths – who treated me with respect as an equal, and not as a cancer that should be eradicated from their body._**

_Naruto stopped walking for a moment and smiled. Thank you, Kurama. That makes me feel better about the decision I made._

**_You're welcome, Naruto. Now, we've both waited long enough for this day, so let's see our decisions through to the end._**

He entered the office where everyone was ready and waiting for him. Closing the door behind him, he walked up and hugged Tsunade. "Hey, Baa-chan. Thanks for coming."

She smirked at him. "No problem, gaki. How are you today?"

Embarrassed, he placed a hand at the back of his neck and replied, "Neji asked me almost exactly the same thing. I'm tired. It was a long night, and then Hikaru woke us up a little too early this morning."

"Hikaru was at your hotel? He shouldn't have been there in the first place. How did he even get in?"

Naruto shrugged. "We have no idea, but I'm guessing he just stole a key from the front desk when the manager turned his back. It's actually pretty impressive that he was able to sneak in without us noticing. As to why he was there, he informed us that there were a few people in the village talking about the nine tailed fox and what might have happened to Hinata last night because of it. He got worried and came to check on us."

"Assholes." Tsunade raised an eyebrow and asked, "Was that the only thing they were talking about?"

"Believe it or not, it wasn't. Hikaru also told us that most of them were discussing the adoption agreement you gave me. I guess they were shocked that you'd do such a thing, and wondered if you were drunk when you did it."

She laughed a little in response. "No, surprisingly sober for once. And for the record, it was long overdue anyway."

He smiled back at her. "Thanks. It's nice to be wanted for a change." He turned and said, "Kakashi-sensei, I need to ask a small favor before we start." He produced the two scrolls and handed them over. "The first document requires your approval; however I'd like to request that the contents be classified as an S-rank secret. You'll understand why when you read it. And I need the second delivered by an ANBU messenger to a specific noble in the Land of Iron."

Kakashi opened the marriage contract and looked it over, remaining silent while his eye widened in surprise. Rolling it back up, he opened the second one and quickly scanned it, before he eye smiled in understanding. "No problem, Naruto. After the meeting I'll personally see to it that both of these are taken care of. Maybe I'll ask Kurenai to deliver the message; I'm sure she'd be happy to do it considering the parties involved."

He nodded in thanks before extending his hand to the third person in the room. "Inoichi. It's nice to see you again."

Inoichi shook his hand and said, "And you as well, Naruto. When Kakashi said you needed a favor, I told him I'd be happy to help in any way I can. I'll never be able to thank you enough for saving my life."

Immediately, memories of the fourth shinobi war came flooding back. Even though Naruto had fought hard to save everyone, in the end the number of casualties had been great and despite his efforts, Naruto had even lost a few of his friends.

_…Kankuro had died in a battle with the Edo Tensei resurrection of Sasori of the Red Sands._

_…Sai was killed protecting Neji and Hinata on the battlefield during the fight with the Juubi._

_…And Anko Mitarashi, along with an entire squad of elite ANBU had been wiped out by Madara Uchiha during his initial attack using Susanoo._

When the Juubi fired a Bijuudama at the Alliance HQ, it had only been by sheer luck that Naruto had been sending one of his kage bunshin there to help. Sensing the attack coming and knowing that he only had seconds left, his clone barged into the room intent on saving as many as he could with the Hiraishin no Jutsu.

There were only two people in the room at the time…Inoichi Yamanaka and Shikaku Nara, and he didn't have time to transport both. Since Inoichi was the closest one to the entrance, he reached him first and transported him to safety. Shikaku hadn't been so lucky.

Shikamaru told him afterwards that he wasn't to blame, but Naruto had still felt responsible. His death, along with many others still haunted his dreams on occasion as another 'what if' moment from his past, thinking that if he'd just had a few more seconds both men would be alive today.

Shaking his head, he dismissed his thoughts of the past and returned to the present. He smiled at Inoichi and said, "I appreciate that; however saving your life was simply the right thing to do. You know I'm not the kind of person who keeps a list of what someone owes me, but what I'm asking of you today is a special case because if you do this one thing for me, I'll consider your debt paid in full."

Everyone raised their eyebrows at his comment before Kakashi broke the silence. "Well Naruto, yesterday at the reception you promised us an explanation before we went any further, so please tell us why you asked for this meeting."

"Sure. But in order to do that I'll need everyone in here." He tapped the side of his head for emphasis.

A look passed between the three of them before Kakashi nodded in approval. Inoichi had them all join hands and close their eyes before he transported them into the mindscape of Naruto, appearing before the kyuubi.

They immediately looked around, shocked at the change in the surroundings. As it had been since the previous morning, the only item to be seen was the cage and the rest of the landscape was devoid of color, like a blank piece of paper.

_Naruto, what…what the hell is going on? Why does your mind look like this? Did the kyuubi do it? Is your seal starting to weaken?_

_Naruto waved his hands in front of his face. Whoa, hold on Kakashi-sensei. I told you I'd explain everything, and I will. Kurama didn't do any of this, it was…outside influences._

_Who's Kurama?_

_Kurama is the real name of the kyuubi, and I'd appreciate you showing him the proper respect by using it. Through his efforts and the use of his power, he helped save many lives during the fourth shinobi war and he deserves just as much credit for what happened as I do._

Everyone turned to look at the cage, as Kurama stared at them from behind the bars with a grin spread across his muzzle. **_Hello Kakashi, Tsunade, Inoichi. Your presence here today is…most appreciated._**

_Naruto could feel the tension beginning to rise and decided that getting right to the point would be best. To answer your question, I know that this area of my mind usually appears as a dark, damp sewer. However, it was recently brought to my attention that conditions in here can change when I'm affected by true emotional happiness. In this case, it's because Hinata – and to a smaller extent Hikaru – have now become a large part of my life._

_After a few moments, Kakashi looked at Naruto and eye smiled. Ah...I get it now; true emotional happiness. So basically, Hinata is your one true love. Fancy that. I'll bet you want to thank me now for making you go see Hiashi that day._

_Naruto rolled his eyes at him. Fine, Kakashi-sensei. Thanks for making me go see Hiashi and agreeing to marry Hinata, because she really is the best thing that's ever happened to me. But we're getting away from the real reason why I brought you all here._

He paused for a few seconds. _I'm going to set Kurama free._

They all looked at him with eyes as big as dinner plates, shocked that he would utter such a ridiculous statement. Immediately they all began shouting at him, thinking him insane and forbidding him from performing such an action.

Starting to get a headache from everyone yelling inside his mind, Naruto rubbed his temples and gave Kurama a pleading look, silently asking for help.

Kurama caught his glance and quickly understood. **_SILENCE, HUMANS!_**

**_All three visitors quickly became quiet as Kurama continued. None of you have allowed Naruto to explain the reasoning behind his decision. Allow him to finish before you render judgment. He turned his head to look at Naruto. Go ahead, kit._**

_Thanks, Kurama. He looked at everyone once again, even though his gaze was focused on Kakashi. Because of Hinata's – let's call it influence – things in here have changed for the better and Kurama has asked me to release him from his cage, and better living conditions while he's here. However, he isn't doing this for free and what he's offering in exchange comes at great personal cost to him._

_Kakashi looked at him skeptically. And what exactly did he offer, Naruto?_

_Unrestricted access to his chakra. No hate. No anger. No matter how much power I use, I'll always remain in complete control._

_Is this true, kyuu…sorry, Kurama?_

**_Yes. Escape from Naruto will no longer be an option, and he will have the ability to utilize my power in any manner he sees fit to protect those who are precious to him._**

_Tsunade still looked skeptical. Who decides which people are precious to him?_

**_Naruto will. So I'd suggest staying on his good side, if I were you._**

_They all looked Naruto before Inoichi continued. Okay, let's assume for a minute that we allow you to free him. What do you need us for?_

_Naruto smirked. Well, first of all there's no allowing me to do anything. I have the key, and I can free Kurama with or without anyone's approval. Besides, I already promised him freedom in exchange for what he's offering, and everyone here knows that I never go back on my word._

_He pointed at the three of them. Kakashi-sensei, you're here simply because you're the Hokage and you told me it's important for you to know what resources you have available for the protection of Konoha. I'd say this would be a big one, if not the biggest. Baa-chan, you're here because I'm guessing that I'll need your healing skills for what's about to happen. Inoichi, you're here because of your clan's ability to influence the mind, and I'm willing to bet that Kurama has an idea of what he wants his new home to look like. After we're done, you're going to make changes to the scenery around here for him._

_He tilted his head in thought before turning back to Kurama. Now that I think about it, you never did tell me what would happen when we did this, or what you wanted things to look like. Care to elaborate?_

**_Kurama grinned. I thought you'd never ask. The ceremony is quite simple, actually. I will swear a blood oath to you, offering my power in exchange for freedom from this cage. During the process, I will be augmenting your healing abilities while Tsunade assists from the outside using the Hyakugou to heal your chakra coils, which will be forced to expand and quickly adapt to the sudden influx of power you will now control._**

_Inoichi looked at Kurama curiously. Excuse me, but isn't that rather dangerous? I mean, you're going to be letting a huge amount of power rush into his body, almost like breaking a dam that's holding back a river. Won't that be rather painful?_

**_You are correct, this process will be rather painful and under normal circumstances, I would agree that the level of risk far outweighs the reward. But I'm confident that through our combined efforts Naruto will survive, and you cannot deny that the end result for both of us will be worth it. Once we're finished, I would like you to change the landscape to appear as the Elysium Fields._**

_Inoichi looked confused. Umm, I don't know what that is. Can you explain it?_

**_In a far off country that Naruto and I visited several years ago, there lives a warrior race called the Spartans. The Elysium Fields are what they believe lie between this life and the next; a land of perfect happiness at the end of the earth. It is a place of great and beautiful fields, perpetual springtime and shady groves, blessed with its own sun and lit by its own stars._**

Inoichi could almost picture what it looked like from Kurama's descriptive words. _Okay, I think I've got it._

**_Very well. I would ask that you stay here to witness the oath and then perform your task. Is this acceptable?_**

Inoichi nodded in agreement.

**_Kurama looked at Tsunade. Once you and Kakashi leave this mindscape, please be ready to use the Hyakugou. And I'd advise against any thought you might have of withholding assistance, because the only one you'll harm by doing so will be Naruto. Understand?_**

Tsunade nodded.

**_We'll begin once we sense that you are ready._** And with that, Kurama pushed them both out of the mindscape and back into the real world.

**_***Sidestep***_**

Kakashi and Tsunade inhaled sharply before opening their eyes and disengaging their grip from Naruto and Inoichi.

Kakashi spoke first. "I don't like this, not one bit of it. Is there any way we can stop this from happening?"

"Not a chance, Kakashi. You know as well as I do that once Naruto makes a promise he never goes back on his word. He can let the kyuubi…I mean Kurama out with or without our permission, and right now he's holding all the cards in this little poker game of his." She made a few hand signs and the Hyakugou markings spread across her face.

"But he's talking about letting the most powerful tailed beast in existence roam free in his mind! What's to stop him from just taking over and destroying the village again?"

"Look, I'm finding it just as hard to trust Kurama as you are, but one thing I do know for certain is that I trust Naruto with my life." Tsunade placed her glowing hands over his heart before looking back up at Kakashi. "And right now, I really don't care about anything else. I just adopted the gaki, and I'm going to do everything I can to see that my grandson makes it through this."

**_***End Sidestep***_**

**_With Kakashi and Tsunade gone, Kurama turned his attention back to Inoichi. While we wait for Tsunade to prepare, I would request two items. First, Naruto will need a katana at least three feet in length. Second, I require that you bend a portion of the bars of my cage, enough for me to extend one paw beyond this cell._**

He nodded and concentrated his stare on Naruto, and after a few moments a katana appeared in his right hand. Inoichi then turned his attention to the bars of the cage, causing one small section to bend slightly, allowing just enough room for Kurama to stick his paw through.

Before too long, everyone felt a surge of healing chakra from outside of the mindscape.

**_It appears that Tsunade is ready, Naruto. I will recite the oath, at the end of which you will be required to drive the katana up to the hilt through your hand and into my paw, allowing our substances to mingle and merge. At that point, our existence will essentially change from being co-dependent to coexistent. The bars of the cage should disappear, and my power will flow into you to be used at your discretion._**

**_Kurama locked his steely gaze with Naruto. Remember my words from before. Fate has brought us both to this moment. Are you ready to begin?_**

Naruto took a deep breath and thought about what awaited him on the other side of the pain he'd have to endure…

_The opportunity to live a life without fear of losing control and hurting innocent people. The power to better protect those who are precious to me._

_He nodded. Let's do this, Kurama._

**_I adjure and decree upon you that I and my power shall arise with all might and strength, fully and without reservation, nor with any mechanism founded in the intention to deceive, to prevail against those who would cause pain, suffering and harm. Whether by land or sea, day or night, grove or tree, moon or stars I shall protect and be ever watchful towards the achievement of those ends. There shall be no boundaries or conditions upon this, and those who would bring harm to my precious people will tremble with fear before me, FOR I AM POWER. I swear this upon the lives of my Bijuu brethren…Shukaku, Matatabi, Isobu, Son Goku, Kokuō, Saiken, Chōmei, and Gyūki. I swear this upon the memory of the Sage of the Six Paths, the Rikudō Sennin. To break this oath is to invite death and suffering at the hands of the Shinigami for all eternity._**

At this point, Kurama motioned for him to use the katana. Grasping the handle, Naruto drove it straight through the back of his hand into the paw of Kurama, causing chakra to flow from the wounds within his mindscape.

After a few seconds the chakra began to rotate, becoming a whirlpool of red and black underneath them both and the cage that held Kurama began to shimmer and blur, slowly melting away before being sucked into the current as well. The roar from the vortex grew louder and louder, suddenly erupting in a tornado of power and shooting skyward, pausing only for a moment before swiftly diving back down and slamming into the seal on Naruto's stomach.

Naruto had suffered through many levels of pain in his life, but they were nothing compared to this. His blood felt like it was boiling, burning him to death from the inside out while every nerve in his body cried out in agony. The chakra cloak formed around him, turning his skin red as the power threatened to overwhelm him and a scream formed behind his lips…

**_***Sidestep***_**

Naruto jerked beneath the hands of Tsunade as his body was suddenly bathed in red chakra, pushing out a massive amount of heat. Grunting, she kept her hands in place despite the pain she was experiencing, determined to heal him no matter what the cost.

Unable to do anything else, they watched helplessly as Naruto opened his mouth and emitted a scream of unbearable pain, the sound tearing at their eardrums. Knowing that the ANBU would be there within a few seconds, Kakashi quickly slammed his hand down on the privacy seals in the room to make sure they stayed as far away from his office as possible.

"What the hell is going on, Tsunade? The heat he's giving off is unreal! At this rate, he'll burn up in a matter of minutes and take us with him!"

"His chakra coils are being stretched to the limit, that's what's going on! They're liable to crack and break if I don't concentrate, so shut the fuck up and LET ME DO MY JOB!"

Hoping Naruto could hear her, she redoubled her efforts and said, "C'mon, gaki…You've never backed down from a fight in your life, and this is a battle you can't afford to lose. Dig deep; find your strength and WIN, dammit!"

**_***End Sidestep***_**

Inoichi could only watch in horror as Naruto began to bend downward, his body shaking under the agony of what was happening to him. True to his word, Kurama was making every effort to help Naruto through the experience, but it was obvious to him that it wasn't enough.

_What's going on, Kurama? It looks like he's dying! Whatever you and Tsuande are doing for him, it's not enough!_

**_Sweat began to flow from Kurama's forehead. I'm giving everything I have, but the pain he's experiencing is overwhelming his will to win. He needs to focus on the reasons behind his promise, otherwise he's going to lose this battle!_**

Surrounded by a sea of torment, Naruto was struggling to stay firm against the waves of hellfire that battered his body. Just as he was about to succumb to it all, he heard the voice of Inoichi cry out…

_Naruto! You need to remember why you're doing this! Remember those who are precious to you! Remember your family!_

Immediately, an image of Hinata and Hikaru appeared in the corner of his mind; his foundation of hope and strength against the ocean of madness that threatened to drown him within its depths. They are his beacon of light and salvation from the darkness, and he knew their presence would guide him to freedom.

Over and over, the power and rage crashed against him, attempting to swallow him within its waves before sliding back to attack again. However, each time they receded the rage grew weaker and he stood firm, refusing to be swept away from his goal. He stretched his hand towards his family, and as his fingers finally touched the light there was a terrifying last surge of power that assaulted his very being before finally snapping under the strength of his will. The warmth of his family expanded around him as the pain receded, the waves subsided and he found himself standing above it all, once again in control of his mind.

Breathing heavily, Naruto opened his eyes and saw Inoichi hovering over him, a concerned look on his face.

_You still with us, Naruto? Kurama and I were worried for a while that we were going to lose you. Are you okay?_

_He grunted a bit as he sat up. Yeah, I'm okay. I heard your words during my struggle…Without them, I probably wouldn't be here right now. So thanks._

_Inoichi smiled. You're welcome. But the majority of thanks should go to Kurama and Tsunade. They're the ones who held you together during the entire thing._

Naruto turned to Kurama, who he noticed had shrunk quite a bit and was now only about ten feet tall. _So…Was that what you expected to happen?_

**_No, that was far worse. If I had known it was going to be that bad, I would have taken better precautions. Fortunately for both our sakes you made it through. Can you stand?_**

_Not really. I think I'll stay right where I am for a little while. Besides, my part is done and it's your turn now, Inoichi._

**_Kurama turned a hopeful eye towards him. At the present time, do you have the strength to perform your task?_**

Inoichi nodded. _I think so. Just give me a minute to prepare, and then I'll begin._ He sat down and assumed the lotus position, closing his eyes and furrowing his brow in concentration.

After a few minutes, the scenery gradually began to change. Grass formed below where Inoichi was sitting, lush and green and Kurama watched in fascination as it slowly spread out from underneath everyone to the farthest corners of Naruto's mind. He could feel how soft it was beneath his paws, just long enough to create a wonderful bed if he wished to.

A sun appeared overhead, positioned slightly past its zenith as rays of gold bore down and bathed everyone in their warmth. Trees began to dot the landscape at various points, their branches offering a comforting shade to rest and relax. As Inoichi continued to work his magic, they began to hear the occasional chirp of a bird off in the distance while a light breeze brushed across the plain, making the grass and leaves dance with its touch.

_Perspiring heavily, Inoichi opened his eyes and looked at Kurama. I'm sorry, but I can't make the landscape endless because I'm constrained to the limits of the mind. However, I was able to give you an area about three times the size of Konoha to roam around in. As far as the sun, I've made it so that it will follow the same path as ours, rising and setting at exactly the same time and even though you can't see it right now, I created a sky filled with stars for you at night. Per your request, the season will perpetually be spring. I hope everything meets with your approval._

Kurama raised his muzzle, drinking in his new surroundings and feeling the sun and wind against his fur. After a few moments, he walked over to lie down in the shade beneath the nearest tree, closing his eyes and placing his head upon his front paws.

**_I am content with what you have made, Inoichi. You have my gratitude._**

The two of them passed a look between each other, silently realizing that it was time to go. Inoichi walked over to Naruto, and the last image they saw before leaving was Kurama with a smile upon his face.

* * *

Naruto opened his eyes in the real world, immediately noticing that his body was now lying on the floor. Tsunade was hovering over him, her eyes wet with tears and a worried look upon her face.

"Gaki…Are you hurt? Are you okay? Please tell me you're okay…"

He smiled wearily and said, "I'm fine, Baa-chan. Can you and Kakashi-sensei help me stand up? I'm feeling a little weak at the moment…"

As Naruto was hauled to his feet, every muscle in his body screamed like an abscessed tooth and his legs almost gave out from underneath him. Tsunade and Kakashi helped steady him for a minute before he waved them off, wobbling a bit as he tried to stand on his own.

Still wearing a concerned look, Tsunade hovered over him and asked, "Gaki, you were wrapped in red chakra and screaming your head off in pain. Kakashi had to activate the privacy seals to keep the ANBU from rushing to his office. What the hell happened in there?"

Naruto proceeded to tell them everything…how Kurama had made the oath, and the power erupted far beyond what he thought possible, threatening to burn him alive from the inside. He told them about how the image of Hinata and Hikaru appeared to help guide him out of the darkness, as the rage and pain he absorbed from the chakra threatened to overwhelm him.

At this point, Inoichi continued the story and told them about how he created the new landscape for Kurama, before leaving him in the shade beneath a tree with a smile on his face.

Kakashi and Tsunade just sat there, stunned expressions on their faces as the two of them spun their tale of what happened. After a few moments, Kakashi cleared his throat and said, "Well Naruto, you never cease to amaze me. That would have killed a lesser man, and yet here you are still among us. I know Tsunade and Kurama helped, but overall it's still an impressive feat to be able to withstand and contain such power."

"Thanks. I wouldn't want to do that again, though. By the way, what time is it?"

Kakashi looked at the clock. "It's two fifty-six in the afternoon. Why?"

"Because I promised Hinata that I'd be home by three. I can't thank all of you enough for what you did today, but I need to go."

Shocked, Tsunade looked at him and said, "Are you out of your mind? You're in no condition to walk, let alone go anywhere. I think I should admit you to the hospital for the rest of the day."

Naruto sported an evil grin before saying, "You expect me to be a patient in the hospital the day after my wedding? There's no chance in hell of that happening, Baa-chan. And besides, who said anything about walking?" And with that, he disappeared in a flash of yellow light, leaving behind two astonished men and one very upset relative in his wake.

* * *

Naruto appeared in front of his house, his legs shaking as he struggled to place one foot in front of the other, knowing full well that no matter how hard he tried Hinata was going to notice the sorry shape he was in right now. He briefly thought about using a henge to disguise himself, but quickly dismissed the idea because he just didn't have the strength and with the byakugan, Hinata would be able to see through it anyway. Resigned to his fate, he put his best face on and walked through the door, already dreading the worried look Hinata was going to have when she saw him.

Right away he noticed her, sitting on one of the new pieces of furniture she'd bought that afternoon, smiling and humming happily to herself as she flipped through a book of fabric swatches, maybe for accent pillows or curtains…He wasn't really sure, and he didn't care anyway because the only thing that mattered to him was that she was happy.

After a moment Hinata stopped what she was doing and looked up at him. Immediately, the smile vanished from her face as her eyes took in his current condition. She hadn't seen him look like this since winning the last battle in the fourth shinobi war; his whole body was shaking slightly and he was using the banister on the stairs as a crutch to remain standing.

"Na…Naruto-kun?"

He smiled at her and said, "Hey, Hinata-hime. Did you have fun shopping this afternoon?"

In an instant she was next to him; her hands on either side of his face as she looked at him, worried that somehow he'd been hurt or far worse. "What happened to you? Why do you look like this? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, really. I've just had a busy afternoon, that's all. Can you help me walk over to the sofa so I can sit down? My legs aren't working very well at the moment."

She draped his arm over her shoulders and slowly guided him to the sofa, where he collapsed in a tired heap. She sat down next to him, still concerned at how he looked. "You…You don't seem fine, Naruto-kun. You look very pale and weak." She placed a hand on his forehead and asked, "Are you sure you're okay? How do you feel?"

A picture of Kurama, smiling as he relaxed in the shade beneath the tree suddenly came to mind. Giving Hinata the exact same look, his hand came up to caress her cheek before placing the most tender, loving kiss he possibly could upon her lips. After a few moments he broke off the kiss and looked deep into her eyes as he said…

"I feel free, Hinata. For the first time in my life…I feel free."

* * *

**_***Time Skip***_**

In the blink of an eye, four months had passed in Konoha.

Despite the fact that Neji could have informed Hanabi and Konohamaru the next day about the marriage proposal, he decided to wait until he knew the message had been delivered to Lord Isamu, which happened one week later when Kurenai returned to the village with her clothes stained in blood. She informed them that Lord Isamu hadn't taken the news very well and vowed to have Hanabi by any means necessary, at which point she had been forced to kill most of his personal guard before he finally understood that the phrase 'no further contact' wasn't a bluff and meant just that.

Needless to say, Hanabi and Konohamaru were overjoyed that the arrangement with Lord Isamu had been called off and that they were now free to marry each other. Hinata asked how this was possible since the promise of two hundred and fifty thousand Ryo would go unfulfilled, but Neji told them that someone had overheard the two of them talking on the dance floor and doubled the offer from Lord Isamu so that they could get married, asking for nothing as compensation in return. When Hinata pressed him for a name, Neji informed everyone that the information had been classified as an S-rank secret and that only the Hokage knew who the unknown benefactor was, so the best course of action would be to just appreciate the gift and let the matter drop.

Not wanting to take the chance that her father would change his mind, Hanabi insisted the wedding take place right away. It was a small ceremony of about one hundred people, only attended by family and some of their closest friends. At the reception, Hanabi and Konohamaru gave a speech acknowledging their anonymous savior and his generosity, promising if that person ever decided to reveal their identity they would find a way to thank him properly. While Naruto and Neji were inwardly pleased at hearing this, Hiashi wasn't and privately seethed about the fact he was outmaneuvered by Naruto and the nine tailed fox.

After Naruto revealed the news about Matsuri being pregnant, it didn't surprise anyone when a message arrived from Suna informing everyone that the wedding of Gaara and Matsuri would take place in a little over a month. Apparently, the villagers were overjoyed with the news of her impending birth, as the Kazekage would now have a child to carry on the family name.

However, the real surprise was that Gaara had asked Naruto to be his best man at the ceremony. He was sure that they were both still mad at him despite his many apologies, but they quickly dismissed the thought and told him that was all in the past. They even asked for the name of the chef who had crafted the wedding cake, as Matsuri had loved the idea and wanted to do the same thing at their reception.

Remembering what Hinata had done to him, he remained on guard when the two of them cut and served a piece of cake to each other, before smiling and kissing at the end. Naruto relaxed, thinking the moment for revenge on their part had passed but before he could react, fifty pies fell from the ceiling, covering him from head to toe and ruining his kimono.

Even though everyone at the wedding had been laughing, he could hear Gaara and Matsuri laughing the loudest as they pointed at him and said, "Got you, Naruto!" After a few moments, he joined them in laughter thinking that the two of them had pulled off this classic prank all on their own until Hinata came up to him with a change of clothes, basically announcing to him that she had been in on the joke. He then proceeded to chase her around the reception hall, not bothering to use the Hiraishin no Jutsu because he was having far too much fun, and the audience appeared to be enjoying the show. He quickly caught her in a bear hug, bringing another round of laughter from the guests as he shared his fruit filled retribution with his lovely wife.

It appeared that Sasuke and Sakura were settling into the knowledge of being parents soon; every day that passed she seemed to glow in anticipation of their impending bundle of joy. However, Sasuke was just as difficult to read as ever, remaining the same impassive and unemotional person he always was. Naruto knew his friend was happy about becoming a father, but Sakura apparently wanted him to show it and constantly voiced her displeasure regarding his attitude, which led to him asking Naruto if he could use the guest bedroom at his house on more than a few occasions in an effort to avoid his hot tempered wife.

Hinata was enjoying her new life, happy to be free from her father and the coldness of the Hyūga compound. True to his word, Naruto had allowed her to decorate the house the way she wanted to, stopping her only on a few occasions to offer his opinion on matters that were important to him as well. The end result was a home that was warm, comfortable and forgiving, full of life and color and a perfect environment for Hikaru to grow up in. She had given him the bedroom on the east side of the house, so that the rising sun would warm his room and wake him up every morning.

Despite the fact that his days were filled with many things to do for the village, Naruto always made sure to spend as much time with Hikaru as he possibly could. He was sure that life for Hikaru and his mother hadn't been easy before now, and even though he wasn't Hikaru's real father, he deeply wanted the boy think of him as such. Things seemed to be going well in that regard and most days he was a normal, happy and carefree boy – but there were times when he would stare off into space, his look melancholy and his mind lost in thought. Naruto could only guess that it had something to do with his real father and questions that could never be asked, because no one either could or would give him the answers he sought.

Naruto began to appreciate many things about his new life that he took for granted before, now that he no longer had to worry about losing control and unintentionally hurting those around him. The thing he enjoyed most of all though was spending time with Hinata – it could be anything from playing a game of Shogi to one of their many lovemaking sessions – but it was simply her presence that filled him full of joy, and when he went away on missions it pained him to be away from her for long.

Today happened to be one of those rare occurrences when neither of them had a mission, and Kakashi didn't have any Hokage training for him to do. Hikaru was in for a long day of training at the academy, as Iruka had scheduled extra sparring sessions with his class to properly gauge their current skill levels. Since they had some time, Naruto thought it might be a good idea to bring Hinata out to training ground twenty-six to work on something he'd come up with.

"Okay, Hinata. I've been thinking about how your clan uses the jyuuken technique. You basically shoot a small spike of chakra through your fingertips to increase the strength of the blow, and when you do this in combination with your Byakugan, you can specifically target a person's tenketsu points in order to shut down parts of their chakra system. Do I have that right?"

Hinata nodded. "That's true, Naruto-kun. It's one of the main reasons why the Hyūga are excellent close range fighters."

"What does your clan do when it comes to long range fighting?"

Hinata looked at him in shock. No one had ever asked her that before. "Well, we really don't have any. Our clan has striven to enhance and perfect our strengths, not create new techniques."

Naruto grinned. "And that's why your compound looks like it does. I'm sorry to say Hinata, but your clan has absolutely ZERO creativity and they've become complacent with their strength. Learning the same techniques over and over again, no matter how good they are makes you stagnant and predictable – which is just a fancy way of saying 'easy target'. We're supposed to be creating new techniques to grow stronger and become better ninja, don't you think?"

She never really thought about it that way, but the more she did the more she realized it was true. She nodded in agreement and asked, "So…I'm guessing you want to teach me a long range technique?"

"Sure do. What if you could actually shoot those small spikes of chakra from a distance? That way, you wouldn't have to get close to your opponents and risk taking a hit, making you much more deadly in a fight. And the best part is…" He winked at her as he finished, "…no one else in your entire clan will know how to do it. It'll be yours and yours alone, and you'll decide who you want to teach it to."

Her mind was spinning as she thought about what Naruto had said. "Naruto-kun, how can I possibly do that? When I extend my chakra, it only lasts for a few seconds before it dissipates. It's never been done before!"

Naruto frowned at her and said, "That's your father talking, Hinata-hime. Just because it's never been done before doesn't mean that it CAN'T be done."

He was right. Even though she was now far away from the compound, there were times her father's influence reared up. It was a hard habit to break, and she hated that about herself.

"Besides…the Hyūga in you might be saying _you can't_, but you're a Namikaze now - _and I say you can_. After all these years, are you telling me you're going to go back on your nindō of never giving up?"

The words were like someone had thrown cold water in her face. Her head shot up and she looked at him with defiant eyes and said, "No. I'll never give up, Naruto-kun. I promise."

Naruto smiled and said, "Good! That's the type of attitude I expect from my wife!"

She blushed a bit at the compliment, thankful for his constant support and encouragement of her. She would have to thank him privately when they got home later…

Naruto picked up a stick and began to draw in the dirt. "Okay, here's your normal jyuuken. When you try to extend your chakra spike too far, it dissipates just like you said. Right?"

Hinata nodded, staring at the crude drawing intently.

"Well, I have a theory that the reason it dissipates is because it's encountering resistance. You need to make it so that it will cut through the air, allowing it to last longer and extend far beyond a few inches from your fingertips."

"But how…how can I do that?"

He erased part of his drawing and drew another chakra spike, only this time he made a swirl pattern over it. "I'm thinking that you can use the same principle that applies to shuriken. If we can make your jyuuken spin like that, it will cut through the air and allow you to strike your opponent over long distances. I figure the faster you make your chakra spin, the farther it will go."

Hinata suddenly understood. "You…You can teach me how to do this, Naruto-kun?"

"Absolutely, Hinata-hime! We'll start right now!" He reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of water balloons and said, "Welcome to the wonderful world of Rasengan training."

* * *

While this was going on Kakashi Hatake, Hokage of Konoha sat in his office across town, staring at the mountain of paperwork upon his desk. Even though he knew the secret to defeating the bane of every Hokage's existence, he didn't have the chakra reserves that Naruto had and his shadow clones disappeared after only a few hours. He sighed, wondering how soon it would be before he could hand the job over to Naruto and retire to a little place on the outskirts of the village, where he could sit quietly and read his Icha Icha books all day long without interruption.

_Yeah, that would be the perfect retirement. Who could ask for anything more? He silently prayed to Kami that it happened soon._

His daydream was interrupted as an ANBU suddenly appeared in his office. "Lord Hokage, this just arrived by messenger hawk with specific instructions that the contents were for your eyes only. The message appears genuine; we've already checked it for traps and found none."

Kakashi took the scroll and nodded in thanks, dismissing the ANBU and activating the privacy seals in his office before opening it.

_Lady Hokage, it has been some time since we last spoke and even though I vowed to rely on my own strength to lead my village, I now find myself in a situation that requires me to ask for your assistance._

So whoever this person was, they were still under the impression that Tsunade was the Hokage. He suddenly became more interested as he read on.

_I have lived these past twelve years trying to change the antiquated laws of my village from being ruled by harsh and unforgiving kunoichi to one of an equal partnership between men and women alike. I believed that the changes I enacted had been accepted by the populace; however someone has recently appeared within our borders to usurp my position, intent on returning the laws to what they were before._

_Her name is Ami no Shirokusa. She is a kunoichi from the Land of Stone, standing six feet nine inches tall and weighing in around 300 pounds. I have attached a picture for your reference._

Kakashi looked at the photo. This Ami no Shirokusa was certainly an imposing figure, standing far above everyone else in the picture. The look on her face spoke volumes; it was that of an oppressive dictator who held power utilizing terror and the constant threat of death.

_Don't be fooled by her appearance; she is extremely quick and incredibly strong. In addition to this, she knows a hidden jutsu that can turn her skin as hard as diamond, making her very hard to kill. She has already eliminated my personal bodyguard, along with anyone in the village foolish enough to offer resistance. I myself have tried on several occasions to assassinate her with no success, barely escaping with my life in the process._

_As I have no other resources available to help free my village from this vengeful tyrant, I formally request assistance under our agreement in file NBO-773218-G12C. Please send two jōnin level kunoichi to me at your earliest possible convenience, and keep in mind that due to the strength and speed of Ami no Shirokusa the survival rate of this mission will be slim at best. Regardless of the outcome, I will consider your debt to our village paid in full._

_I am currently hiding in a small cabin about three miles from the village border. Coordinates are listed at the end of this scroll._

_Sincerely,  
Lady Shizuka  
Leader, Nadeshiko (Pink Flower) Village_

Kakashi leaned back in his chair, digesting the request. Something about the whole thing seemed familiar, but what? And what debt could she possibly be talking about?

And then a light bulb went off in his head. Opening a drawer, he moved aside the false bottom and removed the Sakura/Hinata mission file he had kept hidden these last few months. He looked at the number from the file and compared it to the one from the scroll.

_They matched. The marker had finally been called._

Kakashi immediately remembered his conversation with Naruto several months ago, promising to let him know if anything came across his desk that would help them solve the mystery of who Hikaru's real father is. Sending him on this mission would probably be the only chance they had of learning the truth, but how could he justify not providing what the client had expressly asked for?

And then Kakashi had an idea…A scathingly brilliant idea, actually. He almost created a shadow clone to pat himself on the back because he was that impressed with how great an idea it was. He reached into another drawer and pulled out a list of active kunoichi and their current status, quickly scanning it for anyone jōnin level and above. The list was surprisingly small, and he thought about each one as he checked off the names in his head...

_Sakura is currently on limited duty due to her being six months pregnant, making her unavailable for missions away from the village._

_Kurenai is on a mission with Shikamaru and Temari in Suna and won't be back for at least a week. While she's away, Ino is watching Asuma Jr. so I could still make the assumption that she's unavailable for work, even if it is stretching the truth a bit._

_Even though she technically isn't active, I do have the authority to reinstate Tsunade if I need to. But there's no way I'm giving her the opportunity to continue keeping this information a secret and besides, Lady Shizuka thinks she's still the Hokage._

_That leaves only one person...Hinata. And I need to make sure she's unavailable for this mission, effective immediately._

He lowered the privacy seals on the room and hit a button on his desk, summoning the ANBU to his office. Within moments Boar, Tiger and Ram were kneeling in front of him.

"Lord Hokage. How may we be of assistance?"

Kakashi pointed at Ram and said, "I need you to go to the Mission Assignment Desk and have them provide me with a C-rank mission for some important noble. It's essential that the mission has a completion time of at least two days; three would be preferable…and I'll need it within ten minutes."

Nodding, the ANBU disappeared to complete his task.

He pointed at Boar and Tiger. "I need the two of you to find Hinata Hyūga…I mean, Hinata Namikaze and bring her to my office. Take the long way getting there because you need to give Ram some time to get back with the information I just requested. Thirty minutes or so should be enough."

The remaining two ANBU disappeared to search for Hinata, leaving Kakashi alone with his thoughts.

_If everything plays out like I think it will, I'll be able to send Naruto on this mission tomorrow. And the truth will finally be revealed._

* * *

A/N: So, I promised you an explanation at the beginning of this chapter and I'm giving you one since I can already hear the screams…

"You killed off Kankuro and Sai? And if that wasn't bad enough, you killed off Anko Mitarashi, the sexiest and most beautiful kunoichi in the entire Leaf village? What the hell are you thinking?"

Well, Kankuro and Sai were never my favorite characters, and what I'm trying to do in this story going forward is be slightly different. I've read quite a few stories on FanFiction, and typically Kakashi will end up with Kurenai and Iruka will end up with Anko – or vice versa. I wanted to do a story where those two men ended up with someone different – readers should have noticed that Iruka married Shizune in my version, and I have someone in mind for Kakashi, just not Anko or Kurenai. It will be an OC of my own, but don't worry – she'll have quite a few qualities that will remind everyone of both women. And there will be a twist that she will bring to the story that I'm positive everyone will appreciate. So please just give it a few chapters to fill out and I think you'll be more than satisfied.

I also know that I'll probably get a PM about Naruto using the Hiraishin no Jutsu during the fourth shinobi war, since in the manga he doesn't know it yet. My response to that is to remember I just said slightly different.

Last of all, I realize that the beginning part of the story between Naruto and Kurama was rather long, but I did this on purpose. First of all, I felt that it was rather important for the story going forward – especially for where I want to take the plot. And second, to me it was the end of the first part of the story, since everything from chapter one up until now happened in the space of three weeks.

Also, the entire thing reflected some issues I've been having in my own life and writing about them was rather cathartic. So thanks in advance to everyone for allowing me to vent a bit.

**_Give credit where credit is due!_** Okay, new section here – I want to give props to others who have contributed their ideas to my work in order to make this a better story for everyone. So without further ado, here's the list:

My reader **bennie403**, who sent me a PM with an idea that I will be using a slight variation of for the OC I will create in regards to Kakashi and his love interest. Nice idea, and you'll see it develop in a few chapters.

Fellow author **TheGreatHibiki**, who gets credit for the character _Ami no Shirokusa_. I will only be using Ami for a few chapters, but the idea of a female version of Hagrid was just too juicy not to use.

Fellow author **Gadalla Rune**, who gets credit for Hinata's chakra idea. Occasionally, when reading a story on FanFiction the writer will come up with something fresh and new and this one was spectacular, as far as I'm concerned. I'll only use it sparingly, because I want my story to be as original as possible.

**_Recommendation time!_** Okay, since my sub-theme of this chapter was slightly different, I thought I'd recommend a story with this type of plot. There are a TON of stories on FanFiction that deal with the whole "going back in time" thing with Naruto, but the one that I have found to be the best – by a WIDE margin – is **Yet Again, With A Little Extra Help by Third Fang**. You want NaruHina? You want time travel? You want original characters? You want different? You want brilliant writing? Then this is your story. I don't know what this guy does for a living, but he clearly missed his calling as a sci-fi/fantasy writer because he's that good. He and Kingkakashi are my two favorite writers on the site, so if you are looking for one of the best stories EVER please go and check it out. It's 77 chapters long and he's already 5 chapters into the sequel. All hail the log and beware the Demon Chicken of Doom!

Here's the link; as always you know what to replace the stars with:

www . Fanfiction . *** / s / 5218118

So now the story moves forward. Next chapter is Naruto going off on the mission and learning several pieces of information. Big battle scene with Ami coming up as well, which I've been working on for a few weeks so I hope everyone likes it.

Keep leaving those reviews, because they help motivate me to write. And the more I get, the faster I push out the next chapter. Just saying.

That's all for now. Take care and stay safe.

.

Serious Sam


	12. Ch 11: Promises

11\. Promises

**Welcome back my friends, to the show that never ends. We're so glad you could attend, come inside…It's Chapter 11!**

Here we are at chapter 11, where my ideas really began to churn from the time I took over this story. I'm really excited for the next few chapters, and I've been working hard on them whenever I can. The reviews really helped drive me to create, so thanks to everyone who left them.

Speaking of which, there are several people I'd like to give some creative nods to for parts of this chapter:

**Odinson91**: Thank you for the review; you were the only one who said they wished that the Hikaru/Sasuke conversation from the original story would have been included. It may not be exactly the same, but the first part of this story is just for you. I hope you enjoy it.

**Cobalt Sunfire:** In regards to your PM, you nailed it and basically I completely forgot. I put a small part in this story just to try and explain things going forward like I promised, and you'll know what it is. So thanks for the input.

**Titokhan:** Thanks for the ideas. The first one is pretty much what I already had in mind, but the other two are really good. If I use them in future chapters, you'll get some credit. The water chakra idea rocks and at the very least, I'm pretty sure I'm going to use that.

So what do we have here? We're tying up some loose ends of the story and preparing for things to be revealed. I worked hard to make this chapter not only emotional and heartfelt, but funny as well. Why, you may ask? Because the next chapter will be battle scenes with severe brutality, and I wanted to balance things out a bit.

So, let's get on with the show!

**_Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto, but can I have your autograph?_**

**_Masashi Kishimoto – Sure. I'll just put my John Hancock on that for you._**

**_Disclaimer – Sorry, It's not John Hancock. It's HERBIE HANCOCK._**

**_Masashi Kishimoto – Yikes. So, I hear you finally graduated college…and just a shade under a decade, too. Nice job._**

**_Disclaimer – Shut up. A lot of people go to college for eight years._**

**_Masashi Kishimoto – Yeah, I know. They're called doctors. (+1 if you get the reference.)_**

* * *

Chapter 11 – Promises

It was late afternoon and Hikaru was walking down the street to his house, worn out from his day at the academy. Iruka-sensei had put everyone through a series of intense sparring matches in an attempt to gauge their current skill level. He'd fought five matches, losing only the final one and was considered to be among the top students in his class…but he still wasn't the best, and that bothered him. Maybe he could ask Naruto to spend some more time training with him so that he could get better.

At the mention of his name, his thoughts turned to the blond man who had suddenly appeared in his life almost five months ago, completely turning his world upside down. Hikaru had told him once that he wasn't his father and never would be, but that still hadn't deterred Naruto from treating him like he was his own son. Whenever he had time, Naruto would take him out to the training grounds to help him improve his techniques. Naruto listened when he needed someone to talk to, and he constantly asked him questions about his life, both from now and before they met.

He was also completely devoted to his mother, providing support and encouragement no matter what happened. He made every effort to see that she was happy, because he said he loved to see her smile. He would sit hand in hand with her on the back porch, and she would tell him how her day was, how their friends were doing and how her training was coming along. There were also times when she would talk about the last eight years in the village, and Naruto would put his arm around her shoulders and hold her close, as the memories overwhelmed her and she cried in release. Hikaru could tell that Naruto cared about his mother a great deal.

Yes, Naruto had made good on his promise to protect and care for them both. But Hikaru knew very little about the man who would like to be his father, and thought it might be time for him to find out.

He walked into the house, eager to see his mother and talk about tomorrow. It was Saturday, he didn't have classes at the academy and she didn't have a mission to do for the village. The two of them had planned to spend the day together, eating lunch and then going to see the new Princess Gale movie. He'd been looking forward to this all week; however he was surprised to find that his mother wasn't home and Naruto was in the kitchen reading a jutsu scroll.

Naruto stopped what he was doing and looked up. "Hello, Hikaru. How did your sparring sessions go?"

"They were okay. I did good, but I'm still not the best. I need to practice more."

Naruto smiled. It was nice to see that Hikaru was just as serious about training as he was.

"Where's mom?"

"She got called away on an emergency mission this morning. It was for some noble who specifically requested a ninja with diplomatic experience, so she'll be away from the village for a couple of days."

He noticed the crestfallen look on Hikaru's face and continued, "She was very sad that she couldn't be here tomorrow, and I know you've been looking forward to it all week. But before she left she asked me to spend the day with you and do whatever the two of you had planned. Would that be okay?"

Hikaru thought about that for a minute. He'd really wanted to spend the day with his mother, but he also understood that the life of a ninja meant that things could change at a moment's notice, and Naruto was offering to make sure his plans weren't ruined because of it.

"Sure, I'd like that."

Naruto looked at him, his eyes beaming in appreciation. "Thank you, Hikaru. Now, how about you go take a shower and change your clothes, and then we can go out and get some dinner. My cooking skills are atrocious, and anything I'd try to whip up would probably put us both in the hospital."

Hikaru smiled and ran up the stairs to comply with the request, thinking that even though he wouldn't be spending time with his mother, maybe things had turned to his advantage. This would be the perfect time to ask Naruto some questions that he couldn't with his mother around.

_Just the two of them talking, man to man. Or maybe like father and son._

* * *

They ended up at Ichiraku Ramen when Naruto suggested that since Hinata wasn't around, they could have an all-out eating contest and not have to deal with the disapproving looks his mother would normally have given them. Hikaru quickly accepted the challenge, eating seventeen bowls of beef ramen before finally admitting defeat. Even though he could have eaten more, Naruto stopped at twenty bowls of miso ramen since he really wasn't interested in rubbing his victory in Hikaru's face. Old man Teuchi watched them leave, grinning ear to ear with his register full of money, since he just sold more ramen to Naruto and Hikaru than he had all day.

After they left, Hikaru asked if they could go to the park for a little while and relax. Eager to continue spending time with Hikaru away from the house, Naruto agreed and they walked the short distance there together in silence. When they reached their destination, both were surprised to find that the park was empty, but Naruto guessed that it was because the new Princess Gale movie was opening tonight, and most of the kids in town had been anxious to see it. This didn't seem to bother Hikaru in the least, and he apparently preferred it this way as he walked straight for the swings and sat down on the first one, while Naruto sat in the swing to his left. For a few minutes the two of them sat quietly, rocking slightly back and forth as they stared at the setting sun.

"Naruto?"

"Yes, Hikaru?"

"Can I ask you a question? Something private?"

Naruto wasn't expecting the question. Usually, Hikaru just talked about everyday problems with him, not something private. "You mean, like a secret?"

"Yeah, like a secret. And can you promise not to tell mom?"

Naruto smiled at him. "Sure. I promise not to tell your mom what we talk about. What's on your mind?"

After a few moments Hikaru said, "It's…about my dad. Do…Do you know who he is?"

He shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I don't. I tried to find out when I first came back to the village, but no one would tell me anything. Your mom got very defensive and angry when I asked her about it, so I promised not to do it again. " He paused and then said, "Why do you ask?"

Hikaru stared into space and said, "Lately I've been thinking a lot about him. Wondering who he was, and what happened to make him leave. I know he's a ninja, and I…I know he's still alive out there somewhere but I just wish I knew more about him. I mean, you've known my mom for a long time, right? She's just so nice and pretty, she always helps out other people and I never hear her say anything bad about anybody. And she's a good ninja besides. I just…can't think of a reason why he would leave her. Or me."

Naruto watched as a tear fell from Hikaru's eye. Apparently, this had been building for a while and he finally trusted Naruto enough to talk with him about it.

"Honestly, I can't think of a reason why he left you guys either. You're a great kid, and I can't imagine anyone not wanting you as their son. And I've known your mom since I was about the same age you are now, maybe a little younger. She's always been the most kind and caring person I've ever met. And I'm ashamed to admit it, but it wasn't until quite a few years later that I noticed how truly beautiful she is." He looked sideways at Hikaru. "Did your mother ever tell you that when we were kids, she used to follow me around the village like a stalker and watch me?"

Hikaru shook his head no.

"When I was young, I didn't have that many friends. Well, none actually. I constantly played pranks on the villagers, just to get them to notice me because I was tired of being ignored, like I wasn't worth their time or effort. But no matter how bad things were for me, I never gave up – and if I failed at something, it just made me want to try harder next time. Your mother liked that; she saw something in me that no one else in the village did. She said it gave her the strength to be better, to keep going when her own family told her she was weak and would be nothing more than a failure." He paused for a moment with a far off look in his eyes before saying, "She even saved my life once."

Hikaru suddenly perked up upon hearing this. "Really? How?"

A small smile graced his lips. "It was during my fight with Pain. He had me pinned down with chakra rods and was going to take me prisoner, when your mom showed up out of nowhere to try and set me free. Thinking she was going to die, she confessed her feelings for me and attacked him head on, but Pain was far too strong. He beat your mom until she was nearly unconscious and then drove a chakra rod through her chest." He looked sideways at Hikaru again. "I thought he'd killed her. I'd never had anyone say something like that to me, and Pain took it away in the space of a heartbeat. That's when I got angry and lost it. I freed myself and eventually beat him, saving your mom and the entire village in the process."

Hikaru watched Naruto as he talked about the fight, noticing that whenever he mentioned his mother the look on his face changed. He'd seen it before and curiosity got the better of him as he suddenly asked, "Do you love my mom?"

Startled, Naruto snapped his head around to stare at Hikaru. "What did you just say?"

"I asked if you love my mom."

His eyes went wide in shock at the offhand way Hikaru asked such sensitive question. "What…I mean, why do you ask?"

"Because you get the same look on your face when you talk about mom that Uncle Neji gets when he talks about Aunt Tenten. I'm not blind, you know. Do you love her or not?"

Naruto knew that if he was anything less than truthful, it would ruin everything he'd worked so hard to build with Hikaru, and if that happened it might be years before he could repair the damage. Honesty would be the best policy right now.

Naruto sighed and said, "Yes, Hikaru. I love your mother very much."

"Then why don't you tell her?"

Naruto gave a quick laugh and said, "It's not that easy."

Hikaru gave him a confused look and said, "Sure it is. I tell my mom I love her all the time. Why can't you?"

His face became sad as Naruto said, "Because Hikaru, she loves your father – whoever that guy is – and not me. If I tell your mom I love her and she doesn't feel the same way about me, what do I do then? It would just make things awkward between us, and I…I don't think I can take that kind of rejection."

Hikaru hopped off the swing and stood in front of Naruto, hands on his hips and a disapproving look on his face. "Are you kidding me? You don't know anything, Mister Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze. I may only be eight years old, and you might know more than I do about a lot of things…but I know that my mom has smiled more and been happier in the last four months than I've ever seen in my life. And besides, she married you didn't she? I'm sure my mom could have told you no, she says that to me all the time when I ask for stuff I don't need. So you know what I think?" He pointed a finger at Naruto and said, "I think you're a chicken."

The sad look vanished from his face and Naruto replied in a stern voice, "I'm not afraid of anything, Hikaru. I'm not a chicken."

"Yes, you are! You're a chicken!" And he strutted around in front of Naruto, flapping his elbows and saying, "Brawk brawk! Hi, I'm Naruto! I'm afraid to talk to Hikaru's mom and say I love her! I'm gonna mope around forever because I like being miserable! Brawk brawk!"

Before Naruto could respond, laughter suddenly filled his head as Kurama decided to jump into the conversation.

**_Ha ha ha! That's the funniest thing I've seen in years!_**

_Shove it, Kurama! What the hell do you know?_

**_I know that his impression of you is almost perfect, and the only thing that's missing is the spiky blond hair. But the rest of it is pretty much spot on. Brawk brawk!_**

Clearly enjoying himself, Hikaru continued to dance around in front of him, making very loud chicken sounds and flapping his elbows. His irritation quickly rising and eager to get Hikaru to stop before people came running to find out what was going on, Naruto stood up and shouted, "_Alright, FINE_! I'll tell your mom I love her! Are you happy?"

Hikaru smirked at him. "Almost. When are you gonna tell her?"

Rotten kid. He tried to leave a loophole and Hikaru didn't fall for it. "I'll tell her sometime soon. Okay?"

"Nope. You're gonna tell her the next time you see her. And until you say you will, I'll keep doing the chicken dance!" He placed his hands back on his hips and took a deep breath, ready to strut around the park and start flapping his elbows again…

Defeated, Naruto slumped his shoulders and sat back down on the swing before saying, "Okay, okay. I'll tell your mom I love her the next time I see her. Just stop doing the chicken thing please."

"Sure." A victorious grin spread across Hikaru's face as he sat back down and watched the last remnants of the sun dip below the horizon.

Before long, Naruto decided to break the silence and said, "I'm impressed at how well you manipulated things just now, Hikaru. Where did you learn to do that?"

"From my mom; she's pretty good at it. Don't tell me she never did it to you."

Naruto chuckled and said, "Yeah, she does it to me all the time. But I like to see her happy, and you know what? She's worth it."

Hikaru thought about his mother for a second before he said, "You're right. My mom's absolutely worth it."

* * *

The next day, Naruto and Hikaru got up early and went out to training ground fifteen to work on his taijutsu, since Iruka said that his technique was sloppy and could use some work. After watching him for a few minutes, Naruto knew right away what the problem was – he was telegraphing his movements to his opponent. He hadn't learned yet that a bigger swing didn't necessarily mean more power, and that compact strikes could not only be quicker but have the same amount of force behind it. This was the same problem Naruto had when he was younger, and it had taken him years of training to break the habit. Thinking that maybe he could speed up the process, after they were done with his taijutsu lesson Naruto proceeded to teach Hikaru the kage bunshin no jutsu, and made him promise that until they knew what level his chakra reserves were, he was NOT to make more than two shadow clones at a time. Furthermore, if he broke that promise Naruto would personally go to the academy and tell his classmates all about him doing the chicken dance.

Under the threat of embarrassment, Hikaru was more than happy to agree to the terms.

Afterwards, they went home to eat breakfast and shower before heading out to go see the new Princess Gale movie. Knowing that quite a few people hadn't had a chance to see it yet, they got to the theater an hour early to make sure they got seats but a line had already formed around the building with parents and children waiting to get in. Luckily enough, they got the last two seats which made Naruto and Hikaru very happy that they hadn't wasted their time standing in line, and their day wasn't ruined by missing the movie.

After the movie ended, the house lights came up and Princess Gale – who was really Princess Koyuki – came out to greet the crowd and thank them for coming. The kids all cheered as she waved at them before going back behind stage.

As they watched her leave, Hikaru look at Naruto and said, "Wow! She's pretty. Was that really Princess Gale?"

Naruto smiled and said, "Yes, it was. I didn't know she was in town to promote the movie as well." He leaned over and said, "I'm a personal friend of hers, you know. Would you like to meet her?"

"You…You really know Princess Gale? Can we really meet her?"

Nodding, Naruto led Hikaru back stage to Princess Koyuki's dressing room. There was already a group of adults and children there hoping to see her, but everyone was being kept away from the door by her personal bodyguard.

As Naruto walked to the front of the crowd, the closest bodyguard moved to stop him and said, "Sorry, pal – this is as far as you go. The Princess isn't meeting with any fans right now."

"I understand, but could you do me a favor? Please tell the Princess that Naruto Uzumaki would like to see her."

The man gave him a stern look and said, "I really don't care who you are. Your name might be Naruto Uzumaki, but unless you're the Hokage you're not getting…"

"Naruto Uzumaki?" A middle aged man wearing an eyepatch walked up in front of the bodyguard and asked, "Did you say your name is Naruto Uzumaki?"

Naruto smiled and said, "Yup, that's me."

The man bowed and said, "It's an honor to meet the man who saved our country. My name is Chishima, and I'm the personal assistant for Princess Koyuki. Please come with me, I'm sure the Princess would be overjoyed to see you again." He stepped aside and motioned for them to come forward.

Naruto and Hikaru received more than a few dirty looks as they walked past the bodyguards to follow Chishima around the corner to the dressing room. After knocking politely, he opened the door to find Princess Koyuki sitting in front of her vanity, brushing her hair. When she looked up to see who it was, a smile appeared on her face as she put her brush down before rising from her chair to greet them.

"Hello, Naruto." She gave him a hug and kissed his cheek. "It's good to see you again. I haven't seen you since the wedding; do you enjoy being married?"

Blushing in embarrassment, he rubbed the back of his head and said, "Married life is great, thanks. And it's nice to see you again too. How are things in the Land of Spring?"

"Peaceful as always, since you freed us from Dotō all those years ago." She turned her attention to Hikaru and asked, "Who is this?"

"This is Hikaru. You might remember me mentioning him at the wedding. He's Hinata's son."

She knelt down in front of him and said, "Hello Hikaru, I'm Princess Koyuki. It's very nice to meet you."

"Wow! You're even prettier up close. Not as pretty as my mom, but…"

"Hikaru!" Naruto scolded him. "That's very rude. You shouldn't say things like that to people."

Hikaru looked at him in confusion. "Why not? It's true. Since you married my mom, you should know that no one's prettier than her, right?"

Princess Koyuki was trying hard not to laugh as she watched Naruto bury his face in his hands and say, "Yes Hikaru, I agree. No one's prettier than your mom."

Just as Hikaru was about to ask another question, there was a knock on the door and the large bodyguard from before entered the room.

"Excuse me Princess, but there's an ANBU guy out here who says he has a message for Naruto Uzumaki. I told him to go away, but he won't take no for an answer."

Confused, Naruto looked at her and said, "That's odd. Hinata and I usually don't get communications when one of us is out of the village, so this might be important. Could I leave Hikaru with you for a minute while I go see what this is about? I promise I won't be very long."

"No problem, Naruto. I'll keep Hikaru company while you meet with the ANBU messenger."

Nodding in thanks, he followed the bodyguard out of the room and back around the corner. The ANBU was standing in the hallway, waiting for him with the message scroll. Naruto took the scroll and unrolled it, trying to read it quick so that he could get back to the room as soon as possible.

_*:*_

_*:*_

_Naruto, as you read this message it is imperative that you don't react or make any sudden moves to what I'm about to tell you, especially if Hikaru is standing beside you right now._

_Yesterday, I received a communication from the Pink Flower Village regarding file NBO-773218-G12C, which is the Sakura/Hinata mission. They have called in the marker for payment._

_I had planned to wait until after you had finished your day with Hikaru to send the messenger to get you, however word just reached me that Hinata has completed her mission early and is on her way back to the village, arriving sometime between three to four hours from now._

_You should know that if you don't meet with me by the time she returns, I'll be forced to send her on this mission, denying you the opportunity to finally learn the truth about Hikaru. To further complicate matters, we've also been informed that the survival rate for this mission is less than fifteen percent, which means the odds of Hinata returning home afterwards are very slim._

_Bring Hikaru to someone who can watch him for a few hours until Hinata gets back. Due to the secrecy surrounding this mission, I have procured one of your three-pronged kunai so that you can use the Hiraishin no Jutsu to appear in my office within thirty minutes._

_The clock is ticking, and I won't even bother to ask if you'll accept the mission. I already know what your answer will be._

_Kakashi_

_*:*_

_*:*_

He quickly rolled up the scroll and handed it back to the messenger. "Tell the Hokage that I'll get to his office as soon as I can. I just have one stop to make before I get there."

The ANBU nodded before disappearing in a cloud of smoke, and Naruto quickly walked back to the dressing room to get Hikaru. He opened the door and said, "I'm sorry Hikaru, but there's an emergency and the Hokage needs me in his office immediately. We have to go right now."

"Awww…Can't we stay just a little longer?"

"No, we can't." He looked at Princess Koyuki and said, "I apologize about this Princess, but duty calls. Life of a ninja and all that, you know how it is. We have to be ready at a moment's notice."

She smiled at him. "I understand, Naruto. Please stay safe and remember that you and your family are welcome to visit us anytime."

He smiled back and said, "Thank you. After I get back from this mission, I think I'll take you up on the offer. I might need a vacation when this is all over." And with that, he grabbed Hikaru's collar and dragged him out of the room.

* * *

Tsunade, legendary Sannin and current head of the Konoha Medical Division, was frustrated beyond belief as she sat in her office. It was the weekend, and she should be home drinking sake and not here, trying to finish her paperwork before it overwhelmed the top of her desk. To make matters worse, Shizune had conveniently forgotten to refill the liquor cabinet in her office, offering her no avenue of escape from the hours of torture that awaited her.

What she wouldn't give for a large, non-paperwork related distraction right now. Anything to save her from the madness.

Kami must have heard her, because at that exact moment Naruto walked into her office with a hurried look on his face and Hikaru in tow.

"Baa-chan, I need a favor. Can you watch Hikaru for a few hours until Hinata gets home? Kakashi-sensei sent me a message that he needs me for an emergency S-rank mission, and I need to get to his office immediately."

"Sure, no problem. I'll keep him company until she gets back to the village. Just make sure you have Kakashi send an ANBU to let her know where Hikaru is, since I'd rather not have a hysterical Hinata on my hands."

"Thanks. I owe you one." Naruto turned and said, "I'm sorry about this, Hikaru. I know we planned on spending the day together, but this mission is very important and the Hokage specifically asked for my help."

Hikaru looked at him with pleading eyes. "Is it really that important? Is it more important than me?"

Naruto knelt down and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Hikaru, please remember that nothing will ever be more important to me than you and your mother. But if I don't go on this mission, people will die. People that are very important and precious to me. Would you want me to break my word and choose your happiness over their lives?"

Hikaru shook his head. "No, I don't want that. You told me you always protect your precious people, and you don't go back on your word." After a moment, he jumped on Naruto and hugged him. "You better not forget your promise to me. When you get back, make sure you talk to my mom and tell her. It'll make her happy, I know it."

Naruto could feel the small body shaking as he hugged him back. "I won't forget. When I get back I'll talk to your mom. I promise." He stood up and looked at Tsunade and said, "Thanks again, Baa-chan. I'll be back as soon as I can." And he disappeared in a flash of yellow light.

The room was silent as Hikaru stared at the spot Naruto had been occupying just moments before. Tsunade looked at Hikaru with curiosity, since he had just shown more emotion towards her grandson than she had ever witnessed before. Something had changed for the better between the two of them, and it was very encouraging to see.

After a minute or so, a small voice broke the silence and asked, "Why does he call you Baa-chan?"

"What was that?"

Hikaru turned around to look at Tsunade, and right away she noticed the look in his eyes. He was lost and afraid, more than likely about Naruto not coming back from the mission he just left for. But there was something else in his gaze that she couldn't identify.

"I asked why Naruto calls you Baa-chan. You used to be the Hokage, and you're one of those Sannin people, right? Everyone else calls you by your name, except him. And Iruka-sensei told me that he called you Baa-chan even before you did that adoption thing. So how come he's special?"

Now she recognized the look…it was curiosity. He wanted to know why. "Hasn't anyone ever told you about Naruto? About who he is, and what he's done?"

Embarrassed, Hikaru looked at the ground and dragged his shoe back and forth. "No, not really. I hear people talking sometimes, and I know that some of the villagers are afraid of him, and others just don't care. But all of the older ninja and kunoichi in the village really respect him, and he seems to know a lot of people. We got to meet Princess Gale today because they knew who he was."

He looked up and said, "I never asked anyone about him before, because it wasn't really important to me. But he married my mom and he's taken good care of us even though he didn't have to. He talks to me and trains me. And he makes my mom happy. So I think it's about time I asked."

Tsunade perked up and said, "Well, you came to the right place. With the exception of your mother, I know more about him than anyone else. How about I tell you his story?"

A smile broke out on his face as Hikaru yelled, "All right! Story time!" And he ran over to Tsunade to sit on her lap while she told him the tale.

"Now, the story of Naruto begins a long time ago. My old teammate Jiraiya, who was also one of the legendary Sannin, wrote a book called _Tales of a Gutsy Ninja_…"

* * *

It took sixteen minutes from the time Naruto first received the message until he arrived in the Hokage's office. Once there, Kakashi activated the privacy seals and motioned for Naruto to take a seat.

"Thanks for getting here so quick. I don't think I've ever seen you more enthusiastic about a mission in my life."

"I just want to get the hell out of the village before Hinata shows up. Tell me what I need to know so that I can be on my way."

"Right. Take a look at this." He took the message out and tossed it at Naruto. "We received this yesterday by messenger hawk. It's a request from Lady Shizuka, the leader of…"

"Nadeshiko Village, otherwise known as the Pink Flower, located on an island in Water Country. Ruled by Lady Shizuka, five feet four inches tall, black hair with green eyes. Proficient in water type ninjustu as well as many forms of taijutsu."

Kakashi looked at him, his lone eye wide in shock. "How do you know so much about her, Naruto?"

Naruto looked up from studying the scroll and said, "Pervy-sage and I visited the village a long time ago when I went on that three year training mission with him. Their village law states that only a kunoichi can rule, and when they come of age they'll challenge male ninja to a duel, to determine if they're worthy enough to marry them and be a father to their children. It's basically survival of the fittest; the strong live as subservient husbands while the weak are eradicated from their society."

"I think I was fourteen at the time, and Shizuka challenged me to a fight, which ended in a draw. Afterwards, even though I was young she deemed me worthy enough to marry her but I refused. I told her the reason was because I loved Sakura, and I'd promised that I wouldn't give up trying to win her heart." A smirk graced his lips as he said, "It's actually pretty ironic, considering everything that happened between us years later."

Kakashi cleared his throat and said, "Well apparently, that's the village where Tsunade sent Sakura and Hinata. It's recently been taken over by someone named Ami no Shirokusa. She included a photo; you should take a look." And he handed the picture over to Naruto.

He looked at it and his eyebrows went up. "This Ami is definitely…impressive." He looked back down at the scroll and said, "And if I'm reading this right, deadly as well." As he continued to scan the document, his eyes suddenly went wide. "Kakashi-sensei, this says that she specifically requested two jōnin level kunoichi! How can you rationalize sending me instead?"

Kakashi eye smiled at him and said, "It's actually very simple, Naruto. All the other jōnin level kunoichi are indisposed at the moment, so I'm sending my strongest ninja in their stead."

Naruto thought about that for a moment before he narrowed his eyes and said, "Wait a minute. You said you received this yesterday by messenger hawk. Did you get this before you sent Hinata on that mission?"

"For the sake of argument, let's say I didn't and move on. Agreed?"

So Kakashi had purposely sent Hinata on that mission yesterday, not only allowing him to send Naruto, but making sure that Hinata wouldn't be forced to go on what was essentially a suicide mission. Score one for trust and blind faith.

"Besides, you have a certain – let's say, special technique – that allows you to pass yourself off as a kunoichi if you need to. So the client will get what she wants and so will you. Everyone walks away a winner."

After a moment of confusion, Naruto realized what he was implying. "You've got to be kidding me! You purposely want me to use the Sexy no Jutsu on a village mission? I haven't used that technique in years!"

"It makes perfect sense, Naruto. Unlike most people who can only perform a henge or regular transformation, your jutsu is a true transformation where you can take a hit and still maintain the technique throughout a fight with a high level opponent. Also, I can easily make the argument that you're single handedly stronger than any two ninja or kunoichi I have, and with Kurama's chakra now at your disposal, the odds of completing this mission rise from less than fifteen percent to ninety six percent."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Only ninety six percent?"

Kakashi eye smiled at him again and said, "Well, since you won't tell me anything about the forbidden jutsu you've been taught, I have to go with the data we have available."

"Nice try, Kakashi-sensei…But you know that goading me into giving you that information won't work."

"It was worth a shot. Anyway, your mission is as follows – I want you leave here and go straight to your house using the Hiraishin no Jutsu since I don't want anyone to see you exiting this office. Pack and leave from there, once outside the gates head due south for five hours first. I know that water country is east of here, but Hinata is coming from that direction and I don't want you running into her by accident. When you get to your destination, explain the situation to Lady Shizuka and ask for the mission file for verification. Once you've done that, you are to eliminate – NOT capture – Ami no Shirokusa in whatever manner you see fit and then immediately return to the village. Since this is a covert operation, leave anything that bears the Hidden Leaf symbol at home. And remember that there will be no payment for successful completion of this mission, since the reciprocity agreement was already in place."

Kakashi gave him a last hard look. "I've made good on my promise and given you the opportunity to learn the truth, Naruto. The answers you're looking for lie at the coordinates listed on that scroll. Now get going and good luck."

Nodding, Naruto rolled up the scroll before disappearing from his sight.

_Kakashi looked at the spot Naruto had just vacated and thought, I'm willing to bet my sharingan that whatever answer he finds in Nadeshiko village, he's not to be happy about it. This isn't going to end well for someone, and I hope to Kami it isn't Naruto._

* * *

The trip to Water Country normally would have taken six days. Kakashi had waited one day to give him the message, so that left him with five days to reach the village. Naruto made it there in three.

He arrived on the outskirts of Nadeshiko Village close to midnight, very hungry and tired. Even though a nice meal and soft bed at one of the local inns would be ideal, he decided to keep a low profile and not risk being seen by any of the local security that Ami more than likely had patrolling the streets of the village.

He also thought about pressing on to where Lady Shizuka was hiding, but he dismissed that idea as well. With it being so late, she would probably assume that anyone who approached the cabin at this hour was an enemy, and attack that person without provocation. The best option for tonight would be to camp out in the branch of a tree and try and get some rest.

The only problem with that was Naruto couldn't sleep. His mind was racing nonstop, thinking about what the contents of the mission file might be. Tomorrow would be the day he finally learned the truth behind the secret that Sakura and Hinata had been keeping from him, and he wondered if he would even like what he was going to find.

For about fifteen minutes he watched the overcast sky, while he fidgeted on the tree branch trying to get comfortable. It wasn't long after that Kurama decided to have a conversation with him.

**_I know what's troubling you Naruto, and you'll only make things worse by creating false conclusions to this story. Has everything that's happened in the last eight years changed your way of thinking so much that you automatically assume the worst no matter what?_**

_It's a hard habit to break sometimes, Kurama. I mean, in what scenario can all this possibly turn out good? Tomorrow, I'll learn the name of the asshole that Hinata not only still loves, but also left her and Hikaru to fend for themselves. All I can think about right now is how happy it would make me to find that piece of shit and make him suffer for what he did._

**_I believe the scenario where this turns out well is the one where you remember what the kit told you a few days ago in the park. He may be young, but his words had strength and truth behind them. It's apparent that her feelings for you are substantial._**

_But she loved this guy enough to have his child, Kurama. How can I compete with that?_

**_I would say do you really need to? Consider this; you love both your one true mate and the one who adopted you. The type of love you have for both may be different, but you hold a great amount for each one of them. Couldn't this logic be applied to how your one true mate views both you and the kit's sire?_**

_Maybe. But it doesn't change the fact that I wish she could love me more than him._

**_Who says she doesn't? You're making assumptions again._**

_Naruto sighed. Alright, you win. But I still don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight. I'm too close to my goal to think about anything else._

**_Then perhaps you need a change of scenery. Join me in your mind, Naruto._**

Naruto closed his eyes and entered his mindscape for the first time since he'd set Kurama free. Kurama was once again lying beneath a tree, his head resting on his front paws while stars illuminated the sky overhead, twinkling occasionally.

**_Come rest with me, Naruto. In here, you cannot see the village. You cannot feel the presence of the cabin where your answer lies. And you can escape from the whirlwind of your thoughts for the night._**

Naruto walked up to Kurama and sat beside him, resting his back against the tree. He clasped his hands in front of his chest and closed his eyes, and he felt the tension leave his body as the tranquil surroundings lulled him into a blissful sleep.

* * *

The next morning, Naruto awoke feeling refreshed and ready for whatever answer the day would bring him. He performed a quick stretch to work the kinks out of his back and legs before making his way to the cabin. After arriving, he couldn't help but think it might be best to play it safe when announcing his presence, so he created a kage bunshin and had it walk up and knock on the door.

"Lady Shizuka? I'm here as payment for…"

That was as far as the shadow clone got before a voice inside the cabin cried out, "Water Style: Rising Water Slicer!" The front door shattered outwards as a jet of water sliced through the door and the clone, destroying both before dissipating after ten yards or so. Shizuka emerged soon afterwards, a katana in her hands as she stood ready to defend her life.

_Well, she's certainly gotten more powerful. Convincing her that I'm here to help might not be as easy as I thought._

From his hiding place in the forest he shouted, "Shizuka! It's me, Naruto Uzumaki! I'm here as payment for the marker you called!"

"Like hell you are! I asked for kunoichi to come help me as payment. Either leave or face death at my hands!"

Naruto sighed. "Look, I can prove that I'm who I say I am. I'm coming out with my hands raised in plain view. No tricks, I promise. Just don't attack, okay?"

He slowly walked out of the forest, hands held high. "See? I'm not here to fight you. Now ask me a question that only I would know the answer to, so that I can prove I'm the real deal and here to help you."

Shizuka narrowed her eyes as she looked at him and said, "The last time I saw Naruto Uzumaki, he was with his teacher…"

"…Jiraiya, one of the legendary Sannin."

"I challenged him to a duel and we fought to a draw. I asked him to marry me and he…"

"…Refused, because I told you that I loved my teammate Sakura Haruno and even though she didn't love me, I wasn't going to give up trying to win her heart."

After a few moments she smiled, sheathing her katana before walking over to greet him with a hug. "It's good to see you again, Naruto. You've certainly grown since the last time I saw you, and become much more handsome as well. I only wish our reunion could be under better circumstances."

He hugged her back and said, 'It's good to see you again too. Can we go inside? Being out in the open like this makes us too easy of a target."

"Oh! Of course. Please, come in!" And she led him inside the cabin to talk. Naruto noticed that it was sparsely appointed, the only furniture being a table with four chairs, a couch, a small dresser and a bed.

They both sat down at the table and Shizuna asked, "So, can you tell me why they sent you and not the kunoichi that I requested? Not that I'm ungrateful mind you, but it's just that you're not what I was expecting."

"Sure, but let me take care of the front door before we start." He created a kage bunshin who walked over to stand in the threshold before transforming into a door, hiding them from view.

Shizuka looked at him, impressed. "Nice trick. I hope you have something else up your sleeve, because that's not going to be anywhere near enough to take down Ami."

"Don't worry, I've got it covered." He leaned back in his chair and said, "Now to answer your question, the village sent me for two reasons. First of all, when your message arrived they didn't have two jōnin level kunoichi available that they could send. And second, since you suggested that this was practically a suicide mission they decided to send their strongest ninja – that would be me – since there's no chance I'll lose this fight."

Her eyes went wide and she said, "Have you gone insane? You have no idea what you're up against. Ami no Shirokusa took down my personal bodyguard – that's four chūnin and two jōnin level ninja – without breaking a sweat. And if you've read my message, you know that she's fast, strong and knows a jutsu that makes her skin practically impervious to weapons. Besides, you're forgetting that this fight needs to be done between two kunoichi, which you obviously are not!"

Naruto grinned and said, "Trust me; I'm actually much stronger than I look. This Ami person might be tough, but it's nothing that I can't handle. And as far as not being a kunoichi, that won't be a problem either."

"Want to share how that's even possible? I hope you're not thinking of using a henge, because one hit from her and you'll be exposed."

"I actually know a variation of the transformation jutsu, where I'm able to perform the technique so that it's not merely an illusion, but rather a true transformation. That's how I was able to turn my shadow clone into a door just now. And since the transformation is the real thing, I won't have to worry about changing back if I get hit. I'll stay that way until I dispel the technique."

Shizuka raised her eyebrows. "That's very impressive, and it actually solves the problem of you not being a kunoichi. Are you sure there aren't any limitations associated with it?"

Embarrassed, he placed a hand at the back of his head and said, "Not a limitation really, more like an…incompletion. You see, I can only transform into a naked kunoichi. I used it quite a bit when I was young against older and stronger opponents. It was basically a failsafe if things ever got too desperate, and since the goal was to make them pass out, making clothes or weapons defeated the purpose of even having the jutsu in the first place."

"So you need clothes and weapons? That's not a big deal. I can lend you some of mine."

"Thanks. That's not really an item you typically pack when you leave for a mission, and I didn't really think about the fact that I was going to need a kunoichi outfit until I was almost here. And while you're at it, could I see the mission file? I was told to verify the information before my village provided repayment."

The color drained from her face as she looked at him and said, "Umm…That's going to be a problem. I can't do it."

"What was that?"

"I said I can't show you the file because I had to leave it behind in my office when I fled the village. Ami didn't really give me a lot of time to grab anything when she decided to hunt me down and try to kill me. But I'm positive it's still there, and I can show it to you as soon as you're done."

Naruto could feel the anger rising within him. He was supposed to get the information BEFORE he completed the mission, not the other way around. His tone became hard as he said, "You're lucky I know you Shizuka, because if you were anyone else, I'd be gone right now. Give me the best outfit you have, and as far as weapons go, don't worry about it...I have some special kunai that I brought along for just such an emergency. And from what you've told me about her iron skin technique, she'd probably laugh off anything else I tried to use on her anyway."

She could tell he wasn't happy with the fact that she didn't have the file, and she couldn't blame him since he was the one putting his life on the line without proof. It would probably be best not to push her luck with Naruto right now, so she quietly nodded and walked over to the dresser, grabbing her best combat uniform out of the top drawer.

He took the clothes that she offered him and said, "Now just stand there for a minute with your arms at your sides and don't move. In order to make sure these clothes fit, I need to use your body as a reference point for my jutsu. I'll do a few transformations to make sure I've got it right, but once I do we're leaving."

Shizuka stood rigid while Naruto slowly walked around her, studying her form. "Why the rush? Wouldn't it be better to wait for nightfall?"

He came back around to her front, and the look from his cobalt blue eyes sent a shiver down her spine. "There's no way I'm waiting that long to complete this mission. I was ordered to eliminate Ami no Shirokusa using any method I choose, but if she pisses me off I'll kill her in the most brutal manner possible. And after I drag her cold, lifeless carcass back to your office, you'll honor your agreement to Konoha and give me that file."

* * *

Half a continent away, a meeting of another sort was about to begin, as Hinata was on her way to the tea house to meet with her fellow kunoichi. Things had improved since Sakura decided to change her less than sociable attitude for the better, and now everyone was meeting once a month – missions permitting – to discuss things that were happening in the village as well as in each other's lives.

As she entered the establishment, she noticed that Sakura was already there looking tired and miserable. However, when Hinata walked up a forced smile appeared on her face as she attempted to hide her discomfort.

Hinata smiled and said, "I'm sure everyone will appreciate the effort, but the look on your face isn't going to fool anyone, Sakura. Why don't you just drop the act and be yourself? You have a legitimate excuse to be irritable, after all."

The smile vanished from her face and she put her hands on the small of her back. "I appreciate that, but I'd rather not be a total psycho in front of my friends. I have three months left to go, and I'm positive this baby will be the death of me – or maybe Sasuke – whichever comes first."

Hinata laughed and sat down beside her. "Would you mind if I…"

"No, of course not. You don't even have to ask."

As Hinata placed her hand on Sakura's stomach, a wistful look of happiness came over her face. Sakura noticed it and asked, "Have you and Naruto discussed giving Hikaru a little brother or sister?"

The look vanished from her face as she said, "No, we haven't. Between missions, training, dealing with Hikaru and Hokage instruction with Kakashi, there just hasn't been any time to talk about it."

"How about late at night after Hikaru goes to sleep?"

Hinata blushed. "Well, we usually don't have time to discuss…"

"Discuss what?"

Both of them looked up to see Ino, who had just arrived at their table. "So, what juicy gossip did I miss?"

Sakura said, "We were just discussing Hinata and Naruto expanding their family, that's all. By the way, where's Tenten? She should have been here by now."

Ino smirked and said, "My guess is that she got held up by Neji. After all, they ARE trying to have children and from the smile I've seen on her face lately, I'd say she's enjoying the extra attention she's been getting."

As if on cue, Tenten walked up to the table. "Sorry for being late, I got a little…sidetracked on my way here."

Ino gave everyone a gloating smile and said, "Told ya. So, Neji's been paying special attention to you lately. Having a good time?"

Tenten smiled mischievously and said, "I can't complain. So, what were you guys talking about before I showed up?"

"Just Hinata and Naruto, and all the fun they SHOULD be having, just like you. Speaking of the knucklehead, I haven't seen him around for the last few days. Where is he?"

Hinata said, "Kakashi-sensei sent him on an S-rank mission four days ago. It must have been very important, because he left Hikaru with Lady Tsunade and was gone before I returned to the village."

Sakura looked at her and asked, "That's it? You didn't hear anything else?"

"Well, I was able to get some information out of Hikaru, but it wasn't very much. The only thing he could tell me was that Naruto-kun said Kakashi-sensei specifically requested him, and that if he didn't go on the mission, people who are precious to him would die." A worried look came across her face as she said, "I think he's on a covert mission somewhere, and that's why I haven't felt him."

Upon hearing that last statement, a look of confusion came across their faces and Ino asked, "What do you mean, 'felt' him?"

Hinata silently cursed herself. She had tried to keep the seal a secret, since she didn't want anyone else to know about it. It was a very private, special bond between Naruto and her and she'd just slipped up and revealed it.

Sighing, she held out her hand and pushed some chakra into the seal, making it visible. "Naruto-kun did this the night before we got married. He calls it an amalgamation seal, and he has one just like it. It basically allows us to feel each other's emotions, and he did it so that if he ever senses that I'm hurt or in danger, he can be there in an instant to protect me." She raised her left hand and tapped her wedding ring. "Naruto-kun had a Hiraishin seal carved on the inside of my ring. If you remember the reception, that's how he got across the room so fast to smash the cake in my face."

Ino and Tenten looked at the seal and sighed before Ino said, "That's probably the sweetest thing I've ever heard."

_Sakura on the other hand could only think to herself, How come Sasuke didn't give me a seal like Hinata got from Naruto? I'll have to have a talk with him when I get home._

Tenten asked, "So how come you can't feel him? Do you think it might be broken?"

"No, if you knew how I got this you'd realize that it can't break. During the first month or so, there was no filter so if we had very strong or powerful emotions, they would come through the seal without our consent. However, over the last few months Naruto-kun has gotten better at controlling what comes through and he can shut it down if he needs to. I still need more practice." She looked at everyone and said, "I'm positive he's alright, but it doesn't stop me from being concerned about him."

Everyone was silent for a few moments before Tenten said, "Well, I'm sure you're right. It would take an army to bring Naruto down, so don't worry about it. And now that I know he's away on a mission, it actually explains a few things about that guy I saw yesterday."

Hinata perked up upon hearing this. "What are you talking about? What guy?"

"I ran into this guy at the market who said he used to work with Naruto. He was wondering where he was, and I told him I hadn't seen him lately because he was probably on a mission or something. He thanked me for the information, smiled and left. He had this weird name, what was it again? Anubis. Yeah, that's right…Anubis."

A sudden feeling of anxiety came over Hinata. The name was too strange for it to be associated with anyone else besides the Mienai Segi and if he was part of the organization, why was he suddenly in the village asking about her husband?

Ino noticed the worried look that came across her face and decided to try and change the subject. "Well Hinata, when I came in you were talking about having more kids. So tell me…how good is Naruto in bed?"

"Ino! I'm not answering that!"

"Oh come on, Hinata. You're among friends here. Why won't you give us any of the juicy details?"

"Because Ino, that's private. And I really don't feel like telling you all about the 'juicy details' – as you so eloquently put it – that happen between Naruto-kun and I every time we get together for three hours."

A hush came over the table, and the three women gave Hinata a shocked look.

"Why are you all looking at me like that?"

"Three hours?" Ino raised her eyebrows in surprise. "You're telling me that every time you and Naruto have sex, it's for three hours? And you're not counting foreplay?"

Hinata blushed, embarrassed. "Umm, more or less. Sometimes it's longer than that." Confused, she looked at everyone and asked, "Why? Is there something wrong?"

Ino looked at her and said, "Are you kidding? I can barely get an hour or so out of my boyfriend before he quits on me and falls asleep. How about you, Tenten?"

"Neji usually gives out after an hour and a half." Tenten looked at Sakura and asked, "What about Sasuke?"

The upset look on her face spoke volumes as Sakura curtly answered, "About the same as Neji."

It was obvious to everyone that something about the subject was bothering Sakura, but it was Ino who decided to throw caution to the wind and ask the question everyone was thinking. "You've got to be kidding me, Sakura! You dated Naruto all those years ago. Why didn't you ever tell us that he was such a stud?"

Sakura leaked some killing intent as she looked at Ino and said, "Because I didn't know. Now change the subject."

So even though she hadn't said the words out loud, it was apparent to everyone that Naruto hadn't provided Sakura with the same amount of attention that he was giving Hinata. While Ino and Tenten were slightly jealous and happy for their friend, Sakura privately seethed at the revelation that Hinata was getting more from Naruto sexually than he'd ever given her.

And inwardly, Hinata gloated in the knowledge that in at least one area, she was more important to Naruto than Sakura had ever been.

Luckily enough, at that moment their order arrived and everyone commenced to sipping their tea while Ino changed the subject to Sakura's baby which immediately lightened the mood at the table.

While her friends continued to talk, Hinata looked down at her hand and the seal that was now hidden again. Even though she probably wouldn't get a response, she wanted to let Naruto know that she was thinking about him. Concentrating, she reached out to brush his essence with feelings of warmth, concern and longing. A ghost of a smile played across her lips as she thought…

_Come back soon, Naruto-kun. Our home feels empty without you, and I miss you more than words can say._

* * *

A/N: Now, I know there's going to be people that leave a review who will be screaming, "Are you kidding me? You still haven't told anyone who Hikaru's father is? How much longer are you going to make us wait?" Well, I'm here to tell you that I'll be revealing Hikaru's father in the next chapter. I promise. As for when that will happen, it just depends on how much inspiration I get. Wink wink, nudge nudge, know whatahmean?

I would also like to congratulate **Lady R Paine** for her guess on Naruto using the Sexy no Jutsu for the mission. I don't know if anyone else had the same idea, but she left the first review to mention it so kudos to her.

As I mentioned at the beginning of the story, next chapter will be the big battle scene between Naruto and Ami, and I promise I'll work hard to make it good, complex and a particularly brutal death at the end. Why? Because Naruto is the Alpha Male, and he needs to stretch his Mienai Segi legs a bit. Why go out of your way to create something as cool as an organization as the Mienai Segi and then never use it? Because you wouldn't, that's why. And I'm going to make it a major part of the plot in the future.

**_Recommendation time!_** I originally wasn't going to make a recommendation this chapter since my last one was good enough for a while, but I thought I'd do another one and then lay off for a bit. Since we're dealing with an extra story addition with me - a.k.a. the Mienai Segi - I thought I'd recommend another story that adds a little flavor in the same way. If you get the chance, check out **Beyond an Heiress' Purpose by weirdismyname.** The story takes a different track on how Hinata turned out. She's not a ninja, she's a priestess but the story is still great. I want to give people the heads-up that the author is from the Philippines, so the English and grammar might not be perfect but cut her some slack. I think she's doing a hell of a job with the writing and leave a review if you like it. She'll appreciate it just as much as I do and maybe she'll push out those chapters faster because of it. Yay!

Here's the link; as always you know what to replace the stars with:

www . fanfiction . *** / s / 8549244 / 1

So we are now at the precipice, teetering over the edge of the story. As I said, next chapter is the big battle scene and the Hikaru reveal. And Naruto will talk to Hinata and tell her he loves her. But what will Hinata say back? Will there be another lemon scene? And what will Hikaru think when he finds out who his father is? These answers and more when we return.

I hope everyone liked this chapter, and if you did please leave a review. They motivate me much better than caffeine or red vines.

That's all for now. Take care and stay safe.

Serious Sam


	13. Ch 12: Secrets Revealed

12\. Secrets Revealed

**No one knows the secret hidden, past the shadows in my eyes. There it stays, a heavy burden. Here my fear forever lies.**

**Someday the world will know my secret, my fears and dreams set free. It cannot hide away forever, or change my destiny.**

**But for now I'll keep it silent, a whisper deep inside. Waiting to reveal itself, until that time I'll bide. (Poetry by Lydia Clark)**

Ta da! Here we are at Chapter 12, where I envisioned myself when I took this story over way back in June. I had so many ideas as to where I wanted to take this plot, and even though they began in the last chapter, things really start to pick up the pace here.

I'm actually amazed that with this chapter, I've hit a milestone of having over 100,000 words written (which is the biggest filter setting for FanFiction). I remember when I released the first two chapters and I had less than 100 followers and favorites combined, and I'm far beyond that now. My next goal will be 1,000 reviews and over 1,000 followers. If you're gonna dream, then dream big I always say!

Once again, I also want to thank my anonymous beta for his continued help and support.

Now, I know there were a few readers that wanted another lemon – and you'll eventually get one, don't worry – but I decided to go another route for a little while. So no lemon right now, sorry – it will probably happen in about 5 chapters or so.

But I **DO** want to warn everyone that the first part of this story – which is the battle between Naruto and Ami no Shirokusa – is rather harsh because he goes all Mienai Segi Alpha Male on her ass, and **some of the tactics I used are rather brutal**. It's how I thought the fight should be from when I first started writing this fic and I wrote it this way on purpose. And once again, I want to thank fellow author **TheGreatHibiki** for the use of the character Ami no Shirokusa.

So what do we have to see here? The battle and the big reveal, of course! It's what everyone has been demanding/asking/yelling about since chapter one. I think I broke a personal record with the amount of reviews that people left for me with the last chapter, and now that I'm revealing the **first** big secret, I think my readers can help me top that.

Read on, my fellow Naruto enthusiasts and enjoy. I'll see you at the end of the chapter.

**_Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto, but I'd like to. How about we play rock-paper-scissors and whoever wins owns the rights?_**

**_Masashi Kishimoto – Ooh, I don't think so. No, anecdotal evidence suggests that in the game of rock-paper-scissors, players familiar with each other will tie 75 to 80% of the time due to the limited number of outcomes. I suggest rock-paper-scissors-lizard-Spock._**

**_Disclaimer – What? How do you play that?_**

**_Masashi Kishimoto – It's very simple. Look, scissors cuts paper. Paper covers rock. Rock crushes lizard. Lizard poisons Spock. Spock smashes scissors. Scissors decapitates lizard. Lizard eats paper. Paper disproves Spock. Spock vaporizes rock. And as it always has…rock crushes scissors._**

**_Disclaimer – Okay, I think I got it._**

**_TOGETHER – Rock-Paper-Scissors-Lizard-Spock!_**

**_Masashi Kishimoto – Yes! Lizard poisons Spock! I win! (+1 if you get the reference.)_**

* * *

Chapter 12 – Secrets Revealed

The forest was unusually still as they walked along. Not one animal scurried in front of their path, no breeze danced through the trees to make the leaves rustle, no birds sang or chirped in the distance. The air was thick with tension, while nature itself seemed to be holding its breath in anticipation of the upcoming battle.

Even though the distance to the village was only a few miles, time seemed to slow down as Naruto and Shizuka made their way back. His heart was pounding in his chest, anxious to begin the fight but his mind overrode that emotion, reasoning that being calm and observant would be a far better strategy than charging in blindly and running the risk of others getting hurt. It was the great general Sun Tzu who said, _if you are ignorant of your enemy, you are certain to be in peril._

No words had been spoken between them since they left the cabin. Shizuka mistook his silence for indecision about whether or not to actually fight Ami no Shirokusa, and decided not to say anything that might cause Naruto to change his mind. However, that thought couldn't be further from the truth since there was nothing that could keep Naruto from fighting this battle and getting the information in the file.

**_I'm impressed that you haven't started running towards Nadeshiko village yet, Naruto. Attempting to ensure the battle between Ami and yourself doesn't catch innocent lives in the crossfire is very commendable on your part._**

_Well, pervy-sage always told me that discretion is the better part of valor. It's funny that as I get older, I realize how more often than not he actually knew what he was talking about._

**_That's how it usually works – with age comes wisdom. Maybe the time you've spent with your mate and her kit has matured you a bit._**

_It's as good a theory as anything else I've heard. Any thoughts on what might be waiting for us in the village?_

**_Ami no Shirokusa sounds very similar to other humans I've observed over the years. They rely on brute force to intimidate others around them, not bothering to expand their skills to other areas. My guess is that since her main attributes are size, strength and speed, she is highly proficient in taijutsu. She probably believes that other skills, such as ninjutsu and kenjutsu are a waste of time and will only learn new techniques when they can supplement and enhance her taijutsu._**

_That's actually pretty good reasoning, Kurama. If you had to guess, how many other jutsu do you think she knows?_

**_I'd say probably six or less. However, I'm almost certain that the jutsu she knows are A-rank and above, and quite deadly._**

_Thanks for reminding me. So, do you think for the first few minutes you could pump some chakra into my limbs and boost my speed? I don't want to use sage mode unless I really have to._

**_There was a pause before Kurama answered. You know that you don't have to ask anymore, Naruto. You have access to my chakra to use at your discretion whenever you wish._**

_That doesn't make a difference to me, Kurama. Even though I don't have to ask you, it doesn't mean that I shouldn't. You and your opinions still important to me, and I'm asking for your help because I want to, not because I need to._

**_Another pause. Thank you, Naruto. Once again, you've proven to me that my decision regarding you was the correct one. I appreciate the fact that you are still interested in what I have to offer._**

_Don't mention it. Now, how about that chakra boost?_

**_That won't be a problem. I'll also keep you in a constant state of accelerated healing, since I'll bet my whiskers that Ami will get in one good punch before things really get started, and with her strength and speed your body is going to take a severe beating._**

_Are you trying to talk me out of this fight?_

**_No, merely speaking the truth. While we're at it, you might want to refrain from using any signature jutsu that could easily be identified. The Hiraishin no Jutsu is too widely known from your sire, as is the Rasengan. Elemental jutsu should be fine, but hidden and forbidden jutsu should be off limits._**

_The thought had actually already crossed my mind. I'm thinking it would probably be best to stick to mostly taijutsu and match her move for move, only using elemental jutsu when I have to. And I agree with you about the Rasengan, but how about if I condense the chakra and make it smaller? That way I can hide it in the palm of my hand so that other people won't see it._

**_That may actually work, but I'd still use it sparingly if you can. You don't want to run the risk of someone tracing it back to you and the Hidden Leaf, because that might create more trouble than you would like._**

They turned a corner and suddenly the forest ended, and the village was in front of them. Naruto turned to Shizuka and said, "Okay, this is where we part ways. You stay hidden in the outskirts of the village, and no matter what happens you are NOT to enter the battle and try to help. Your job is to keep everyone from being caught in the crossfire between Ami and myself, because I'm not going to have time to save them AND take her down as well. Understand?"

Shizuka nodded. "Ami is probably in the center of the village right now; its high noon and she typically doles out punishment for those who she believes have broken her laws at this time. You might save some lives if you hurry there and stop her." She leaned forward to hug him. "Good luck, Naruto. And thank you."

He nodded before turning around and sprinting towards the village square. Once there, he saw a large crowd gathered around a gallows at the center, where Ami no Shirokusa had three men lined up apparently to be summarily executed. Based on the looks he saw on the villagers' faces, this appeared to be a daily occurrence.

In a booming voice, Ami addressed the crowd. "Tsurangi, Kusabi and Sanazami. The three of you were seen walking through the village without a kunoichi escort, in clear violation of our laws. How do the accused plead?"

Tears streamed from Tsurangi's eyes and he blurted, "I…I'm sorry! I needed to get to the market and my wife hadn't come home yet to escort me there! We had no food for the night, and I didn't want our children to go hungry! Please, have mercy!"

An evil grin appeared on Ami's face and she said, "That sounds like a confession to me. How about you two? Anything to say?"

Kusabi and Sanazami stood silent, not wanting to give Ami the satisfaction of twisting their words into what she believed was an admission of guilt. Knowing they were going to die no matter what, they stood firm against what they believed was their fate. However, before Ami could pass judgment a voice rang out…

"Hey! How about you let the men go before I kick your ass?"

The grin vanished from Ami's face and many of the people in the crowd blanched at her look.

"Who the fuck said that?"

"Me." The crowd parted and Naruto – in his kunoichi form – walked to the front. "I said let the men go before I kick your ass."

Ami stared down at Naruto in disbelief for a moment before throwing her head back and laughing. "Ha ha ha! That's pretty damn funny. Whoever you are, you got a lot of guts to say that to me. What's your name, girl?"

"My name's not important. But why I'm here is."

Ami sneered and jumped down from the gallows to stand in front of Naruto. "And just why **are** you here, shrimp? Lost and can't find your way home?"

A slight smile played across his lips as Naruto pushed out some killing intent and said, "Not even close. I'm here to kill you…BITCH."

The sneer on Ami's face vanished before being replaced by an angry snarl. "Fuck you." And her fist lashed out quicker than he would have thought possible, catching Naruto in the jaw and throwing him back twenty or so yards.

As soon as this happened, from somewhere behind the buildings on the edge of the village a voice rang out, "EVERYONE, RUN! IF YOU STAY OUT IN THE OPEN, YOU'LL DIE! GET TO YOUR HOMES AND LOCK YOURSELVES INSIDE, NOW!"

The crowd scattered, quickly emptying the square and giving them plenty of room for the upcoming battle. The only ones left behind were the three men still on the gallows, their lives literally hanging in the balance as they watched the scene unfold in front of them, hoping that someone would set them free before the fight got out of hand.

Naruto did a back flip and landed on his feet before skidding to a stop. The blow had broken his jaw, and he held it in place so that Kurama could put it back together.

_Nice guess. She got in one good hit like you said she would. I just wish it wasn't my jaw because that fucking hurt._

**_Well, you were the one who goaded her into it. Was that what you were trying to do in the first place?_**

_Yeah. First rule of combat is an angry enemy is an unbalanced enemy. She'll make mistakes if I push her over the edge. For now, just keep healing me and pushing some chakra out to my arms and legs._

The bones quickly reset themselves and Naruto stood back up, wiggling his jaw to test it out. Satisfied, he walked back towards her and said, "Not bad. You're faster than I gave you credit for. But you know what? SO AM I." And he disappeared from view before reappearing in front of Ami, driving his fist upwards into her stomach and launching her body into the air. She landed some thirty yards away on her back with a loud thud.

Naruto put his hands on his hips and said, "If that's all you got, I'm not impressed. And by the way…**_you hit like a man_**."

Ami gathered herself and stood, releasing a large amount of killing intent as her face contorted with rage. "You just crossed the line, you little skank. You wanna dance? FINE! Let's dance!" She flashed through a few hand signs and said, "Earth style: Iron Skin Technique!"

Naruto matched her level of killing intent as he felt her chakra rise, while her skin became noticeably darker, spreading from her hands to the rest of her body. He had seen this jutsu once before during his time with the Mienai Segi. The technique was weak against lightning based attacks or the Fūton: Rasen Shuriken, but the problem he had right now was he didn't have an elemental affinity for lightning and the Fūton: Rasen Shuriken might be recognized if he did it.

Ami ran towards him at incredible speed, throwing several quick punches at his eyes and kidneys. Naruto blocked them all before leaping over her, twisting in the air and delivering a kick to the back of her neck as she ran under him. It drove her forward into the dirt, before she quickly flipped back up on her feet. Naruto stood about twenty five feet away, glaring at her and waiting for the next attack.

An evil growl came from her throat as Ami came at him and lashed out at his legs this time, in an effort to hobble his ability to move. Naruto jumped over her leg sweep, but her arm came up over her head and grabbed his shirt. She spun and threw him over her shoulder, slamming him back into the ground and forcing the air out of his lungs. He grabbed a handful of dirt and threw it in her face, momentarily blinding her as he scrambled to his feet and tried to catch his breath.

She finished wiping the dirt her eyes and looked at Naruto. "That was a pretty childish tactic. I thought ninja followed a code of ethics and honor."

Naruto smirked and said, "Only if the other party knows what that is. And I'm guessing you don't."

Ami spread her hands out in front of her and walked around Naruto slowly, like a cat stalking its prey, waiting for the perfect time to pounce and rip his throat out. Naruto mirrored her movements, still wary of her strength and determined to keep a good amount of distance between them so that he could react in time. Before he knew it, she had thrown a kunai at his chest and when he dodged to the side to avoid it, she was there. Grabbing his wrist, she pulled his arm forward and brought her elbow down hard, shattering his forearm.

Pain shot through him as he drove a kick into her side, separating them so that he could give Kurama some time to mend the bone.

_Make it quick, Kurama. I can't fight very well or do jutsu with just one hand._

**_I'm trying, but it's going to take a few moments. I can't mend your body in an instant unless you power up beyond four tails and you know we can't do that right now._**

Ami grinned at him and said, "I bet that hurt. You just lost an arm, so no more jutsu for you. Still think you can take me down?"

Naruto extended his arm, grimacing in pain before Ami heard a loud, sickening pop. After a moment, he flexed his fingers and said, "My arm is just fine, thanks. And yes, I still think I can take you down, you overgrown ape."

She yelled and ran at him, slamming into his body and driving him into the earth. A wrestling match between the two ensued, each of them attempting to gain the upper hand. Thumbs were stabbed at eyes; knees were driven into kidneys and stomachs. After a few moments, Naruto realized that submission hold tactics would be useless, so he got his legs up underneath her and managed to flip her over his body before scrambling back up. Just as she got back on her feet, he appeared in front of her and performed a vicious roundhouse kick to her jaw, hoping to do some damage.

The blow made a cracking noise at it landed; however Naruto wasn't sure if it was from her jaw or his foot. Because of the Iron Skin Technique, her defensive capabilities had increased so much that it was like kicking a steel door. He put both feet against her and pushed off, putting some distance between them again.

_This is pissing me off, Kurama! The last time I faced off against an opponent that used this technique, I took him down using the Fūton: Rasen Shuriken, but I can't use that without people knowing who I am. And I don't have an affinity for lightning. You have any ideas?_

**_Very few. Obviously, outside attacks are useless. Unless you know of a way to drill through her skin, you'll have to take another route to find a way to get inside. That leaves approximately six entry points into her body, such as the eyes, ears and mouth…_**

_He thought about that for a second. Kurama, I've got an idea. I just need you to concentrate on healing me, nothing else. I'm going to use sage mode to augment my strength from here on out. Okay?_

**_No problem, Naruto. Just make it fast, because I doubt Ami is going to give you enough time to complete your plan._**

_Right._ He crossed his fingers in front of him and yelled, "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Four shadow clones appeared in a cloud of smoke and ran towards the far corners of the square, their only purpose at the moment being to gather natural energy for him to enter sage mode.

Ami rubbed her jaw and smiled. "That kick hurt about as much as a mosquito bite. You still don't get it, do you? When I've got this jutsu going, you can't hurt me. All you're doing is dragging this out, because when I get my hands on you, I'll rip your head off and mount it on a pole in front of the gallows. That way everyone else will know what's in store if they defy me."

Naruto continued to keep his distance, trying to give his clones enough time to enter sage mode. In order to keep her from attacking as long as possible, he decided to demean her in the hope that it she'd get angry enough to charge in and make a big mistake.

"You know what? You may be the most incompetent leader I've ever seen. Have you ever had a thought in your entire life that wasn't motivated by intimidation or the threat of violence? Or is it that you've never been viewed as anything other than a monster, so you just decided one day that the inside should match the outside?"

Her look became hard as she continued to circle in front of him, waiting for an opening to attack.

"I'm guessing that no man has ever been attracted to your body, and any of them that seemed to be interested did so because they were either drunk or took pity on you. So after all that, you came to the conclusion that all men – not just the ones who hurt you – needed to suffer for how you were being treated by a select few."

Her face contorted in hatred as she pushed her killing intent to the maximum and shouted, "SHUT YOUR FUCKING MOUTH AND STOP TALKING!"

Naruto once again matched her level of killing intent before continuing, "Hit a nerve, did I? I'm not surprised. I'll bet intimidation didn't work, and even the threat of death by your hands couldn't convince one man to actually want you, sexually or otherwise."

The clones finished gathering natural energy and Naruto dispelled the first one, allowing him to enter sage mode.

Naruto took a kunai out of his holster and threw it at Ami, which she easily dodged. She slowly walked towards him with a withering look on her face, clearly disappointed with his pathetic attempt to injure her.

Naruto smirked and finished, "Face it, Ami. You're obsolete; nothing but a relic of a bygone era that should have died out long ago. And no matter what it takes, I'm going to make sure that something like you never bothers this village again."

Screaming in rage, Ami ran at him and threw a combo of attacks at him, slamming her fists into his chest and face. Even though she got lucky and broke two of his ribs, Naruto blocked the rest and ducked under the last one, sweeping her legs out from underneath her. As soon as her back hit the ground, he followed it up with an overhead heel strike to her stomach, driving the air out of her lungs and making her wince.

It appeared that the enhanced strength he received from being in sage mode could be effective in causing her pain, after all.

He performed a few back flips to once again put some distance between them, waiting for Kurama to heal his ribs and for Ami to regain her footing. As soon as she did, Naruto pushed some chakra into his legs and launched himself at Ami like a spear. He swung his right fist forward, driving it into the exact same area he'd hit with his foot just moments earlier, causing her to grunt in pain as she was thrown back several dozen yards from the strength of the blow, embedding her body in the wall of a nearby building.

With little time to spare, Naruto looked over at one of his meditating shadow clones and shouted, "Hey! Get moving! We haven't got a lot of time here!"

The clone opened his eyes and stood up, raising his hands to the overcast sky and furrowing his brow in concentration. After a few moments, the wind began to pick up speed as it howled and screeched against the overwhelming force of Naruto's chakra.

Ami extracted herself from the rubble, still seething over the fact that Naruto had actually caused her pain. "You fucking little shit! Let's see you dodge this!" She flashed through a few hand signs and slammed her palm into the ground. "Earth Style: Earth Crushing Spikes!"

Naruto could feel the attack coming and jumped into the air just in time, as three dozen earth spikes erupted from the ground where he'd been standing only moments before. However, this appeared to be what Ami had wanted because she tackled him in the air, immobilizing his upper body in an unbreakable bear hug.

She landed on the other side of the spikes and began to slowly squeeze her arms together. "You've got no chance of getting out of this, you annoying little insect. Once I get my arms around someone, they're as good as dead. I'm going to squeeze the life out of you before snapping you in half. Any last words?"

Struggling to keep Ami from breaking his back, Naruto flexed his muscles and said, "Yeah. You might be the stupidest fucking person on the planet, you know that? Because you just did exactly what I was hoping you'd do."

Ami looked at Naruto, confused by the statement and wondering what he could possibly be plotting. After a moment, she grunted and a surprised look appeared on her face.

It appeared that Naruto had missed Ami with the kunai on purpose earlier, simply trying to throw it across the clearing to one of his clones. That same clone was now standing behind her wearing a fiendish grin, having buried it into one of the six openings on her body that the Iron Skin Technique couldn't protect.

Naruto smiled and said, "What's the matter? Never had an explosive kunai shoved up your ass before?"

The clone made a ram sign and detonated the kunai, vanishing in the resulting explosion. Ami let go of Naruto and grabbed her backside, screaming in agony at the damage that had been done as he performed a roundhouse kick in the air, catching Ami in her chest and driving her away from him.

Ami struggled to remain on her feet, as her pelvis bone was more than likely fractured in several places. She staggered around for a bit, and then clenched her fists at her sides in pain and frustration. Eyes wide, she raised her head to the sky and yelled, "**FUCK**!"

That proved to be the wrong decision, as another clone suddenly appeared behind her with a kunai in each hand. He raised them overhead and quickly brought them down, stabbing them into her eyes and blinding her instantly.

Ami screamed again and lashed out in a fit of rage, swinging her arm around and destroying the clone in a cloud of smoke. She reached up and pulled the kunai from her now useless eyes, holding one in each hand as she tried to defend herself against anything or anyone that might come within her reach.

After a few moments, Ami stopped swinging wildly and held her arms out to her sides. "Where are you, you sneaky little bitch? When I get my hands on you, I'll rip your head off and…"

That was as far as she got before Naruto suddenly appeared in the air behind her, smothering her killing intent with his own as he drove his elbow into the back of her neck. Ami staggered forward and dropped the kunai she was holding as Naruto started to beat her senseless, not holding back anything as he pummeled her with his sage enhanced attacks.

Right cross to the face. "You're not going…"

Knife hand strike to the throat. "To keep me…"

Crescent kick to the side of her face. "From learning…"

Front kick to her stomach. "The truth…"

Doubled over and gasping for breath, Ami couldn't offer any resistance as Naruto yanked her hair back and screamed into her face, **_"I WANT THAT FILE!"_**

He slammed his fist upwards into her jaw, launching her high into the air before crossing his fingers in front of him and saying, "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Seven shadow clones appeared overhead, one in the center right above the rapidly rising body of Ami no Shirokusa while the other six surrounded them. Every one of them raised their right hand and created a small Rasengan, waiting for her to reach the apex of her flight. As she did, the clone in the center slammed his into her stomach, driving her back down to the earth. The force of impact left a large crater about twenty feet across, and Ami clawed the ground as she ground her teeth in pain against the Rasengan being pressed into her body.

Naruto moved quickly to the other side of the clearing, standing opposite of his remaining clone. The clouds in the overcast sky above had become a maelstrom, ready to unleash its wrath on those below. Both Naruto and his clone pointed at the sky, mirror images of one another as they slashed their fingers downward and yelled in unison, **_"WIND STYLE: CHAOS VORTEX!"_**

The sky shuddered as a tornado formed and began to funnel downward, while at the same time the remaining six shadow clones drove their Rasengan into the ground around them, sending rocks and dirt up into the air. As the tornado reached the halfway mark, the debris was sucked into the whirlwind as it continued down, straight through the clone that was holding the Rasengan in place against Ami's stomach, causing it to vanish in a cloud of smoke.

And then the point of the vortex – filled with earth and rock – began to drill through the chest of Ami no Shirokusa.

_And she screamed._

To someone who had never seen such a thing, it was hard to put the sound into words – but it might best be compared to being gored to death by a bull or eaten alive by ants. And right now, Ami was drowning in a psychological ocean of raw agony and despair. Tears fell from her eyes as the vortex mercilessly tore through her upper body, shredding everything it came in contact with.

After fifteen seconds, the screaming stopped because her lungs were gone and she couldn't utter a sound anymore.

After thirty seconds, Naruto ended the technique and the tornado disappeared, making the clouds dissipate and allowing the sun to shine once more on the village. Naruto dismissed the last clone and released his sage mode, before he walked up to look at what remained of Ami no Shirokusa.

Even though her eyes had been destroyed, the look on her face was one of shock and surprise, as if she still couldn't believe that there was someone who had the strength to take her down. Her skin had returned to normal, and rigor mortis had frozen her hands in the shape of claws that had dug furrows into the ground from the immeasurable pain she had experienced. The entire center of her torso was now gone, somewhat like removing the core from an apple, and her body continued to twitch involuntarily from the sheer brutality of her death.

His face devoid of emotion, Naruto reached down and ripped the hitai-ate off of her forehead. He smiled slightly as he said, "I'll take this, since you won't be needing it anymore." He pocketed the item, pausing for a moment before he raised his voice and shouted, "Lady Shizuka!"

Several seconds later, Shizuka stepped out from behind one of the buildings, still in awe over the awesome display of power Naruto had unleashed. She hesitantly walked up to him, unable to form the words to respond.

He motioned his head towards the gallows and said, "Get those men down from there and set them free. Take some time to speak with the villagers to reassure them that everything is going to be fine, and let them know that I'll be gone within the hour. When you get done, I'll be waiting for you at your office." And then he casually bent down and grabbed the hair of Ami, dragging her lifeless corpse down the street, just like he'd promised to do earlier that day.

* * *

Thirty-six minutes later, Shizuka opened the door to her office and found Naruto sprawled out on the couch, his feet propped up on the cocktail table in front of him, still in his kunoichi form.

She looked at him curiously and asked, "Why do you still look like that?"

He shrugged. "I figured it would be easier to walk out of here as a female, and I'd rather not let anyone know what I really look like. This is still a covert mission after all, and the less chance I give anyone of tracing this back to me and my village the better."

"Good point." She sat down in the chair next to him. "What's happened to you, Naruto?"

"I'm not sure what you mean, Shizuka."

"I mean that was some display you put on today, and I'm not talking about how powerful you've become. The Naruto I remember always had a smile on his face and looked for the best in every situation. What I saw out there today was not him. You just killed Ami no Shirokusa in one of the most brutal ways I've ever seen and it didn't even faze you, so I'll ask again…What's happened to you?"

He shrugged. "A lot has happened in the last few years, not all of it good. Look, can I just get the file and get going? I'm just...really eager to get home."

She stared at him for a moment. It was obvious that the subject was something he didn't want to discuss, and she could either press the issue or let it go. After thinking about it, she decided that the latter option was best.

Nodding, she rose and walked over to a painting on the wall. It was of a young woman sitting underneath a tree, and the light of a new day was beginning to peek over the horizon. The caption on the frame underneath read, _'If you keep your face to the sunshine, You will never see a shadow.'_

She pressed the face of the woman, then the sun and finally the shadow of the tree. Each motion produced a barely audible 'click' and then the painting swung away to reveal a safe hidden in the wall. Shizuka punched in the combination, opening it and taking out a stack of files. She quickly flipped through them and offered him the sixth one.

He reached out and took the file. "Thanks, Shizuka. Now that I have what I came for, I'll be on my way. Take care of yourself and good luck."

As he opened the door, curiosity got the better of her and she asked, "Naruto, you said a lot has happened to you, and I know you don't want to talk about it but I need to know one thing. Are…Are you going to be okay?"

He stopped and turned around to look at her. A slight smile adorned his face as he raised the mission file and said, "I will be…as soon as I read this." And with that, he closed the door and left.

* * *

Naruto thought about his next step. He was itching to read the file, but he also needed to get rid of his clothes and change back. Pressing on to Kirigakure to relax and spend the night was tempting, but he really wasn't interested in waiting that long. His best option at this point was returning to the cabin where Shizuka had been hiding to complete his business, and then leave for Konoha from there.

He entered, not bothering to create a clone to replace the front door since he didn't plan on being in the cabin that long. He threw the file on the table and stripped out of Shizuka's torn kunoichi outfit, before flinging the garments onto the bed. Finally able to release his Sexy Jutsu, he did so and stretched a bit, happy to be back in his normal form. He then walked over to the table and sat down, his hands trembling slightly as he opened the file and began to read.

The first few pages of the file were copies of correspondence between Shizuka and Tsunade, mostly regarding the mission parameters and what Nadeshiko village was obligated to provide while Sakura and Hinata remained there. The next several pages detailed expenditures they incurred during their stay for items such as rent, food and clothing. Naruto skimmed through most of it, deciding that this particular data was irrelevant at this point.

On page seventeen, the file began to reference the only thing he was interested in…_the birth of Hikaru_.

He read each paragraph slowly, taking his time to savor each bit of information. His expression was curious at first, but on page nineteen he stopped for a minute, as his face became pale and his mouth suddenly turned dry.

He continued to read. On page twenty-two, his expression softened a bit as he thought about the last paragraph he read. However, by page twenty-five the soft expression was gone, only to be replaced by one of hatred and rage.

Even though there were ten pages left, at page twenty-seven he decided he'd seen enough. He pushed the file away from him and sat there, his hands clenched while he thought about everything he'd just read. Years of training with the Mienai Segi to control his emotions were only a distant memory at this point, and his fists shook as he ground his teeth in anger and frustration.

This only lasted about fifteen seconds before he decided to unleash everything he was holding inside. He suddenly stood and raised his arms, before taking a deep breath and yelling at the top of his lungs, **"FUCK!"** And his fists came down, smashing the table into splinters of wood.

**_Well, that was certainly unexpected information. I sympathize with your frustration and understand your reaction, but you need to remain calm._**

_He paced around the cabin, clenching and unclenching his fists. How can I be calm, Kurama? You saw as well as I did what was in that file! How can I just…_

**_Kurama interrupted him. Naruto. Unless you plan on physically taking out your frustration on those responsible, you need to reign in your anger. Trust me on this; I have decades of wisdom over you in this area._**

_That seemed to do the trick, as he stopped pacing and closed his eyes briefly in an effort to meditate. No, I'm not going to do anything like that. But it still doesn't change the fact that I'm very bitter, hurt and angry right now._

**_And you have every right to be. But until you have the other half of the story, you need to remain in control._**

_The other half of the story? What the hell are you talking about?_

**_Kurama sighed. Even though he'd improved in recent years, sometimes the childish Naruto and his oblivious nature reared its head. I'm talking about the fact that once again, you shouldn't jump to conclusions until you have the missing information. You now know 'what' happened, but you still don't know 'why' it happened. You need explanations before coming to a decision about what to do next._**

_Naruto thought about the words for a brief moment. Okay, okay. I get it. So what do you think I should do? I was planning on using the Hiraishin no Jutsu to get back to the village today, but it might not be a good idea with the state of mind I'm in._

**_I agree, but for different reasons. First of all, you've never used the Hiraishin no Jutsu over such a long distance before so I think it would be prudent not to chance it right now. And second, taking the same way home as how you arrived here might give you time to calm down and think about the best way to handle this. I doubt it will change your outlook on the situation, but it's worth a shot._**

_He walked over to pick up the file from the wreckage of the table. Alright Kurama, we'll do it your way. But I'm pushing the trip back to the village the same way I pushed coming here. I want to be home in three days._

**_As good a compromise as any, I suppose. Let's get moving, Naruto. Your mission may be over, but your quest isn't finished yet. I'm curious as to what the two females back in the village will say about this now that you have the file._**

* * *

"Thank you, Crow. You're dismissed, and please let my receptionist know that I'm not to be disturbed for the next half hour."

The ANBU nodded before disappearing in a swirl of leaves. Kakashi activated the privacy seals on his office before reaching into one of his desk drawers to move aside the false bottom and take the Sakura/Hinata mission file out from its hiding place once again.

It had been seven days since he received the initial message from Nadeshiko village, and if he'd calculated right Naruto should have made it there in six days – assuming he didn't rush it – but he probably did. And if that was true, the redaction seal on the file should be gone by now, allowing him to learn what was previously hidden.

He opened the file, and noticed immediately that the redacted parts were now visible. He didn't know when it happened, but it was obvious that Naruto completed his mission. Kakashi eye smiled, feeling a sense of pride in his former student.

Now there weren't many people who knew about it, but one of the first skills Kakashi learned during his years of training with the ANBU – that also served him well during the three years he'd been Hokage – was the ability to speed read documents, committing to memory any vital data before having to either destroy or hand over the original. He quickly began flipping through the mission file, scanning each page with precision for pertinent information.

And on page seventeen, he began to find what he was looking for.

…On page nineteen, his lone visible eye became wide with shock, surprised with the information that was presented.

…On page twenty-two, he eye smiled at what he found in the file. It appeared there were people in this world with a sense of morality, after all.

…And on page twenty-seven, his face turned the palest shade of white and his lone visible eye grew wide again. However, this time it wasn't from shock, but rather from fear.

Kakashi had been there four months ago when the Kyuubi had given Naruto his power in exchange for freedom – and so far there hadn't been any signs that it was all part of an elaborate scheme – but old habits die hard, and his first thought was that if Naruto was seeing this, then he knew without a doubt that he was angry. As to how angry he was and what would happen because of it, there was no way to tell until he got back to the village. And by then it might be too late.

He lowered the privacy seals on his office and stood up, pressing a button on his desk. Within moments an ANBU was kneeling before him.

"Lord Hokage, how can I be of assistance?"

"I want you to alert every available ANBU to keep an eye out for Naruto. He's away on a mission, but as soon as he's back in the village I want to know about it immediately and no one – and I mean NO ONE – should attempt to capture or restrain him unless the situation changes and you're required to intervene. Understand?"

The ANBU nodded and disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Kakashi grabbed the file and exited his office, with a lone destination in mind. There was someone he needed to talk to, and even though the hour was late he couldn't wait for tomorrow. The discussion had to be done tonight.

* * *

_Knock, knock, knock._

Tsunade was distracted from her bottle of sake by someone at her front door. She looked at the clock, wondering who it could possibly be trying to see her at this time of night, reluctantly setting down her cup so that she could find out who it was.

She received a bit of a surprise when she opened the door and saw Kakashi standing there with a very serious look on his face.

"Good evening, Tsunade. I'm sorry to bother you so late, but it's very important that I talk with you. May I come in?"

She hesitated for a second before stepping aside and gesturing for him to enter. He walked straight for the table she had been sitting at just a few moments ago and sat down, waiting for her to do the same.

She closed the door behind her and joined him. "So, what brings you here so late at night? I'm sure it isn't because you needed someone to drink with."

"Not even close. It's about this." And he threw the mission file down in front of her. "I believe we have some things to discuss."

"Kakashi, I told you once before that I'm not discussing the mission, plain and simple. So why are you even asking?"

"Open it."

Confused, she opened the file and looked at the first page. The expression on her face vanished as she saw that the information was no longer redacted, allowing anyone to see what she had hidden eight years ago. She flipped through a few pages to verify that it wasn't simply an illusion before giving him a deadpan look and asked, "When?"

"Within the last few days. The village called the marker for payment, so I checked the file this evening to see if things had changed." His lone eyebrow went up as he finished, "It was a very interesting read."

She crossed her arms in front of her chest and said, "Fine, now you know what happened. But that still doesn't explain why you're here now, when you could've just waited until tomorrow to talk with me."

"Because I sent Naruto to provide payment for the marker."

The color drained from her face and she asked, "Are you out of your mind, Kakashi? What the hell was going through your mind when you decided to send him there?"

He raised his voice and said in a harsh tone, "There were several things going through my mind, Tsunade – the most important of which was that Lady Shizuka requested two jōnin level kunoichi as payment for the marker, while also telling us that the expected survival rate for this mission was fifteen percent at best. I sent Naruto not only find out about Hikaru's parentage – which he has every right to know, by the way – but to save the lives of others. Hinata and Ino were the only two kunoichi available at the time, and if I'd sent them they'd probably be dead right now."

"Besides, in case you've forgotten there hasn't been a part of his life that Naruto hasn't offered up for this village. He saved us from Pain, he pretty much saved the entire world in the fourth shinobi war and he saved Hinata and Hikaru from whatever horrible fate Hiashi had in store for them. He deserves far better than he's gotten, not just from you or me – but from everyone in this village. This information was important to him, and I'd promised him months ago that if something ever came across my desk, I'd give him the opportunity to learn the truth."

"Which brings me to the reason why I'm here tonight. Naruto is more than likely on his way back here, although I'm not sure how close he is to the village and he could be here in an instant with the Hiraishin no Jutsu. I have the ANBU keeping an eye out for him, but they're under strict orders to give him his space unless actions warrant otherwise."

He pointed at the file. "This thing says 'what' happened, but not the 'why'. And that's something I need to know, because it's probably the only thing that's standing between this village and an angry, bijuu-powered future Hokage right now."

* * *

The following day was a miserable Friday afternoon in Konoha. It had been raining since dawn – and not the kind of shower that seemed to wash away problems and disappointments – this one seemed cold and unforgiving, as each drop that fell permeated through clothes and skin to absorb their chill into the very core of a person.

It had been a depressing week for Hinata with Naruto gone on his mission, and she missed his presence at the house. If she didn't know any better, Hinata would swear that the sky was crying in sympathy for her, mirroring the ache she held in her heart for her absent husband.

She was on her way to meet Sasuke and Sakura for lunch at one of the local restaurants, since her training regimen for today had been canceled because of the rain, and more than likely Hikaru's classes at the academy would be cut short as well. Maybe some time with her friends would lighten her mood before Hikaru got home later that afternoon.

She walked through the door, and noticed that Sasuke and Sakura were already seated in one of the booths – Sasuke had his usual impassive look about him, while Sakura once again looked tired and miserable. Hinata wasn't sure which one was irritating Sakura more – Sasuke or the preganacy – but she was probably safe in assuming that it was a little of both.

"Hello Sakura, Sasuke. Thanks for inviting me to lunch. How are you both doing today?"

Sasuke said, "Fine Hinata, thanks for asking."

Sakura gave him a withering look. "I'm SO glad that YOU'RE doing okay Sasuke, but you're not the one carrying this baby around. Every bone in my body aches, and I swear if this kid kicks me any harder he's going to break my ribs."

Sasuke closed his eyes and sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Sakura, we've been over this. Women give birth, men do not. It's the way things are."

"Well it shouldn't be! Let's see you get fat and bloated like I am! Or get up every morning feeling like someone just drove a kunai into your spine! I bet you couldn't take one week of what I've been experiencing for six months!"

The Haruno temper coupled with Sasuke's presence and her pregnancy was driving Sakura's personality to extreme levels, and Hinata thought it best to intervene before things got out of hand. "Look, before this degenerates into a shouting match, can we change the subject? We are in a public place, after all."

After hearing this, Sakura calmed down a bit and said, "I'm sorry about that, Hinata. My hormones are just a little out of control."

_A little out of control? Hinata thought. That's like saying my father is a little bit arrogant._

"Anyway, you're right – let's change the subject. Is Naruto back from his mission yet?"

Hinata sighed. "No he's not. He's been gone almost a week, and I'm starting to get worried. If it was a long term mission, Kakashi-sensei should have told me."

Sasuke said, "Don't worry Hinata, I'm sure the dobe will be back soon. You know he doesn't like being away from you for very long."

As if on cue, Naruto came into the restaurant and walked over to the table. He was soaked from head to toe, as if he'd been wandering aimlessly through the rain and he wore a haunted look on his face. Hinata still had her back to him, so Sasuke and Sakura were the first to see him.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow and asked, "Dobe? You okay?"

Upon hearing this, Hinata looked over her shoulder to see Naruto standing there. Overjoyed to see him, she jumped up from her chair to hug him tight, happy that he was home at last.

"Naruto-kun! Did you just get back? I've been worried sick about you, and I missed…"

Something was wrong. Naruto hadn't moved his arms to hold her, and didn't even try to kiss her. Hinata released him and took a step back, finally noticing the expression on his face. She looked into his eyes, which had turned midnight blue and in a timid voice said, "Naruto-kun?"

Suddenly, the seal on her hand was flooded with emotions, and it gave her goosebumps as they traveled up her arm and into her heart. Hurt was the most powerful one she felt, followed by despair and then anger. They were so powerful and unexpected that she took another step back and stammered, "Na…Naruto-kun, what happened to you? Why do you look like that? Aren't you happy to see me?"

He closed his eyes, unable to answer. He knew that this discussion with Hinata should be done in private, at their house where he didn't have to worry about causing a scene. He kept his breathing steady, trying to remain calm despite how he felt.

Unfortunately, Sakura chose that moment to speak up.

"Naruto! Hinata just asked you a question, so how about you quit being…"

That was as far as she got before Naruto began to grind his teeth. The anger that Hinata was feeling through the seal skyrocketed, dwarfing the other emotions as his head snapped around to look at Sakura. His eyes were glowing red, and his voice dripped with hostility as he spat, "You shut the hell up, Sakura. I'll get to you in a minute."

Even though Sasuke didn't flinch, Sakura and Hinata shrank back and their eyes grew wide in fear at the sight before them. Realizing that he might scare some of the patrons of the restaurant – in addition to the two women in front of him right now – he curbed his anger and his eyes returned to normal. Sakura and Hinata continued to shy away from him, wondering what would cause him to act like that all of a sudden.

Naruto decided to get to the point and leave the restaurant before Sakura drove him over the edge again. He looked at Hinata and said, "I picked up Hikaru from the academy and brought him over to the Hyūga compound to stay with Neji and Tenten for the night. We need to have a talk." He threw something on the table that made a metallic clink when it landed. "I'll see you back at the house." And with that, he vanished in a flash of yellow light.

No one moved for several seconds, each of them unable to comprehend what had just happened. Neither Sakura nor Hinata wanted to be the first one to break the silence and ask the obvious question, but they both knew someone eventually had to do it.

Luckily, Sasuke was the first one to speak up and asked, "What's wrong with the dobe?" He reached for the object that Naruto had thrown on the table. "And what the hell is this?"

When he turned it over, they all saw immediately that it was a hitai-ate. But it was only Sakura and Hinata that recognized the symbol, and it suddenly became clear as to why Naruto had been so angry moments before.

_Naruto had been to Nadeshiko village. And he knew the truth about Hikaru._

The faces of both women became pale, and Hinata had to sit down quickly as her legs began to shake, while Sakura stared off into space. After a minute they looked at each other, unsure of what to say next but Sakura somehow found the words.

"He knows, Hinata. What do we do now?"

She looked at Sakura and said, "I don't know about you, but I'm going home to talk with my husband." A tear rolled down her cheek as she finished, "Although after this, I'm not sure he'll want to be married to me anymore." And she ran out of the restaurant, terror gripping her heart as she thought about the conversation that awaited her, wondering if it would lead to Naruto leaving her forever.

She **_wouldn't_** let that happen – she **_couldn't_** let that happen. Unlike when they were children, she wasn't going to put things off until it was too late. She vowed that before Naruto walked through the door and out of her life, she would beg for his forgiveness and let him know that she loved him.

* * *

At some point during her walk home, the rain outside had stopped but Hinata didn't notice. Her mind was numb to her surroundings as she stepped up to the front door of her house, wondering if her life and the man she loved would be taken away from her, no matter how hard she fought to keep them.

She opened the door and walked in, noticing immediately that Naruto was sitting in the dining room, rapidly pouring cups of sake and downing them in one shot. It seemed that he was dreading this conversation just as much as she was.

She moved to the opposite side of the table and sat down, folding her hands in front of her and waiting patiently for Naruto to speak. Even though she had so much to say, she felt that with everything he'd discovered, he deserved the right to speak first.

He continued to drink shots of sake in silence, until he suddenly stopped and looked at her. He pushed his emotions at her through the seal, so that she could see that his look matched how he felt. He wanted her to know the depths of his pain and heartache as he spoke the words to her.

"He's mine. He's my son."

Hinata could feel his anguish washing over her, drowning her in his sorrow. She could tell that he was very upset about the information being kept from him, but surprisingly enough the anger she felt through the seal wasn't nearly as strong as it had been at the restaurant.

"Yes, Naruto-kun. He's your son."

He stared at her for a minute, the air thick with tension before he finally asked, "Why, Hinata? Why would you keep something like that from me? Do you realize that I've missed a good portion of his childhood? That no matter how hard I try or wish otherwise, I'll never get those years with my son back? How can you possibly explain what you've put me through?"

She looked away and chewed her bottom lip, trying to put into words the reasons why she'd kept everything a secret, even after he'd returned…Or after they'd gotten married…Or after he'd given four months of caring and devotion to her. And the more she thought about it, the more she realized that the only logical explanation was her own cowardice. Her mind had created many imaginary scenarios about what would happen when he found out the truth, and all of them ended with him walking away and leaving her alone and miserable forever. Her sole excuse was fear of the unknown.

Naruto saw her turn her head to think about it, deciding to give her a moment to work up the courage to tell him the truth. But as the seconds dragged on and she didn't give him an answer, he grew aggravated because he felt that this should have been an easy answer for her. Deciding he'd endured enough silence, he slammed his hand down on the table, causing her to jump a bit as she looked him in the eyes once again.

"Do you have any idea how much this hurts me, Hinata? How angry I am at having to find out like this, when you should have been the one to tell me months ago?"

Her lower lip began to quiver and tears fell from her eyes as she said, "I…I know, Naruto-kun and I'm sorry. I should have told you that you were Hikaru's father, but…"

He interrupted her. "I'm not even talking about that, Hinata! Yes, I'm angry and hurt that I've purposely been kept in the dark about Hikaru, and I have more questions that I want answered, but right now I'm talking about YOU!"

She looked at him in confusion as she wiped some of the tears from her cheeks. "Me? What…What about me?"

Naruto stood up and began to pace back and forth in frustration. "I'm talking about the fact that for months, I've been living in the shadow of the memory of Hikaru's father, wondering if you could ever love me the same way you loved him. I wanted to kick his ass so bad for what he did to you and Hikaru; I hated the fact that he didn't give a shit about you having to deal with the shame from your clan, and how he left you alone to endure the constant scorn and ridicule from the villagers. And after all that, I find out that those two people are one and the same. **_I'M HIM!_**"

He sat back down and stared at her. His eyes had turned a bright azure blue, and his look was that of a person who seemed lost. "Other than Hikaru, the only thing I've been thinking about since the day I came back has been you, Hinata. I've relived your confession to me from when you fought Pain a thousand times in my mind. I never saw what you truly meant to me, because I was stupid and blind to you and your affections, and I took the cowards way out by not even talking to you about any of it. I continued to chase after Sakura, and she only brought more pain and suffering into my life, driving me away from the village…and from you. I left you alone for so many years to suffer through it all, and I…I just wanted to make it up to you. To give you the life that you should have had – I mean **_we_** should have had from the very beginning." He buried his head in his hands and finished, "I wasn't asking for much in return. I just wanted you to love me the same way I love you, that's all."

The grief in his voice tore at her, and she could feel his heartache through the seal as his body shook. She was about to say something, and then all of the sudden his words hit her, making her heart skip a beat.

She walked around the table and sat down next to him. She gingerly reached out to touch his shoulder and asked, "Naruto-kun, can…can you repeat that last part again? Did…Did you just say that you love me?"

He took his face from his hands, and even though no tears had fallen from his eyes, they were still moist with emotion. "Yes Hinata, I did. I love you very much, and I believe I always have. Even though we've only been married for four months, you've made so many positive changes in my life that it's hard to think about what might have happened if you hadn't saved me from myself. You helped me find my way back to Konoha – to my friends and Baa-chan – but most of all to you and Hikaru."

Hinata sat there, stunned. The words she never thought she'd hear were coming from the mouth of her husband, and somehow through it all her brain and her heart refused to believe it. She might regret it later, but she had to ask the question that had been haunting her for the last eight years.

"But…But what about Sakura? Don't you love her more than me?"

He gave her a small smile, not surprised at the question. She still refused to see what was right in front of her, and he wondered if he would ever break her of the habit. He remembered the words Hikaru used against him that day in the park and decided to repeat them now. "Well, I married **_you_** didn't I?"

Tears began to fall from her eyes as she said, "But…But I know you did it to save me from whatever my father had planned. He didn't give you any other choice. He made you do it."

Naruto reached out and lovingly caressed her cheek. "You're wrong, Hinata-hime. I didn't marry you because I **_had_** to; I married you because I **_wanted_** to. And the reason for that is simple…You're my one true love, and my most precious person. Believe it."

Overcome with joy, Hinata buried her face in his neck and cried. She had come home fearing the worst possible scenario, and somehow through it all had gotten the best. She privately thanked Kami for bringing such a wonderful man back into her life.

"I…I love you too, Naruto-kun. You know I always have, and I…I always will. You…You mean everything to me, and I don't know what I'd do without you."

They sat there for a while holding each other; Hinata hugging him tightly and sobbing into his shoulder, while Naruto comforted her by stroking her back. Just as he was about to say something else to her, he heard a strange humming noise off in the distance, and as the seconds passed it seemed to be coming closer.

He pulled her away from his body and whispered, "Hinata…I need you to stop crying and be quiet for a minute."

She sniffed a bit and looked at him, puzzled. "Naruto-kun, what…"

"SHHH!" He silenced her by placing a finger over her lips before cocking his head to the side trying to listen. The sound was slowly getting louder, and after a moment he recognized it for what it was.

Naruto grabbed Hinata and moved quickly, upending the dining room table onto its side as he threw her down behind it, covering her body with his own in an effort to protect her from what was about to happen.

And then the front wall exploded inwards, destroying most of the furniture and showering the room with rubble.

**_Konoha was under attack._**

* * *

A/N: So there you have it – Naruto is the father. I know there were some silly theories that Gaara might be the dad, but c'mon – you guys didn't really think that I would make a Naruto/Hinata story and have Gaara be the father, did you?

Now, here are a few notes for everyone. First off, I really had another direction that I originally wanted to go with for the conversation between Naruto and Hinata – something much more confrontational with Naruto getting far more angry – but after I wrote it, I decided that it really didn't depict how things should turn out between the two of them, especially after I wrote that great piece between Naruto and Hikaru at the beginning of the last chapter for **Odinson91**. So, I toned it down quite a bit and made it more sentimental. I hope you guys like the change, and don't worry – Naruto will be able to take out some of his frustration on the people who are attacking Konoha. And if you think the way Ami died was pretty cool – or brutal, depending on your point of view – wait until you see what I have in store for the final battle scene coming up. I got the idea one day after watching an old episode of the Justice League, and I can't wait to write it.

And now that Hikaru's father has been revealed, you might be thinking that I'm done with major surprises and plot twists – BUT YOU'D BE WRONG! I've got a bunch more in mind for this story, and I'm not even CLOSE to the end of how I envisioned this tale so you just have to keep reading and find out what they are!

So what's coming next? Well, the next few chapters will be the battle for Konoha and yes, Anubis leads the attack. Don't know who he is? Google it and you might get a hint of what's coming – or maybe not – I won't know until I actually write it. And if you think I'm doing this to keep my readers guessing, you'd be right (insert maniacal laugh here).

And just for the fun of it, I'm putting up a poll on my profile page due to some PM's that I received. What's the subject, you may ask? Very simple…What's better, Strawberry Twizzlers or Red Vines? If you get the itch and want to cast your vote, head over there and do so. It won't make any difference in the story but everyone needs a fun-sized break from reality sometimes.

I hope everyone liked this chapter, and if you did please leave a review. The quick release of this chapter is a direct result of so many pieces of positive feedback and I'm certain that the more you leave, the faster the next chapter gets pushed out.

And as far as I'm concerned, **_RED VINES RULE._**

That's all for now. Take care and stay safe.

Serious Sam


	14. Ch 13:Anubis and the Minions of Set

13\. Anubis and the Minions of Set

**Oh, it's seven o'clock, time for a party – and I know what I wanna see…Chapter 13!**

So, chapter 13 is here for everyone to enjoy and before I begin, I want to say thank you to everyone who left me a review for the last chapter. Once again, I broke a personal record with the number of reviews and I can't thank everyone enough for reading my story. It's very uplifting that people enjoy what I write and let me know, because it fuels my desire to keep churning out new chapters.

So as I mentioned at the ending of the last chapter, here we have the battle for Konoha. I know most of you were hoping to hear more about Naruto, Hinata and Hikaru but sorry – that's next chapter so you're going to have to wait a bit. But I promise to make sure it's worth the wait.

And I would once again like to thank my anonymous beta for his help and support, as well as fellow author **Titokhan** who provided me with some great ideas for this chapter. Your help is very much appreciated!

Without further ado, let's get on with the show! I'll save most of my comments for the author's note at the end of the chapter.

**_Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto, but I have an idea. We kidnap Masashi Kishimoto and hold him for ransom for the rights to Naruto and the sum of…ONE MILLION DOLLARS!_**

**_Number Two – Umm, don't you think we should ask for more than a million dollars? That's not exactly a lot of money these days. I mean, Microsoft alone makes over 14 billion dollars in a year!_**

**_Disclaimer – Really? That's a lot of money._**

**_Number Two – Yes, and that's the net profit…not gross._**

**_Disclaimer – Okay, then…We will kidnap Masashi Kishimoto and hold him for ransom for the rights to Naruto and the sum of…ONE HUNDRED BILLION DOLLARS! (+1 if you get the reference.)_**

* * *

Chapter 13 – Anubis and the Minions of Set

As the dust began to clear, Naruto looked up from his position behind the remnants of his dining room table. His ears were still ringing, and rubble from the explosion had embedded itself into various points in the surrounding walls. As he tried to stand up, he felt a stinging sensation in his side and noticed that he was seriously bleeding from two pieces of concrete sticking out from his body. He realized that based on the placement of his injuries, if he hadn't protected Hinata like he did, the shards would have ripped through her head and taken out a good portion of her right side.

He rolled off of her and sat on his knees. He shook her and said, "Hinata…I need you to pull these things out of my body and be quick about it. We don't have a lot of time."

She looked up and saw blood leaking around the debris lodged in his body. Her eyes became wide and she stammered, "Nar...Naruto-kun, you're hurt! Are…"

He ground this teeth and spat, "Damn it, Hinata – you can be concerned for me later! Pull these pieces out of my body so I can start healing; we're going to have visitors here in about five seconds!"

Shocked into action, Hinata reached out with trembling hands and yanked the pieces out, causing blood to gush from the wounds for a brief second before they began to close.

"Now when I stand up, stay on your hands and knees and crawl to the back wall. I don't want you getting in the way when I kill whoever is responsible for this. Understand?"

She nodded and got on all fours, ready to move. Naruto stood up and kicked what was left of the table forward, providing a distraction as it shattered and giving Hinata a few moments to get to the back of the room.

As the dust finally settled, three men appeared in the opening that had once been the front wall of their house. All of them were very muscular with bronzed skin, wearing only a simple loincloth and two gauntlets, all colored gold. Their weapon of choice seemed to be a sword in the shape of a sickle, similar to what farmers use to harvest grain.

Naruto sneered. "Well, well, well…What an unpleasant surprise; the Minions of Set have decided to pay me a visit. Where's Anubis, that sadistic piece of shit you call a leader? Does he plan on showing me his face or is he taking the cowards' way out by hiding in the shadows?"

The man in front gave Naruto an impassive stare as he said, "Our leader is no coward, Gabriel – and he would never hide from someone as pitiful as you. Instead, he has given you the opportunity to either run from this conflict or face him directly. If you choose the latter, he awaits you at the center of this village."

"So that's it? He sent you to deliver a message to me like the fawning bootlickers that you are, letting me know where he is when I could have found him in an instant if I wanted to?"

The Minion raised the corner of his mouth and said, "Partially. We are also here to take away that which is most dear to you." He pointed at Hinata. "That woman and her offspring. Lord Anubis has decided that they will make fine additions to our ranks."

The sneer vanished from his face, only to be replaced by one of anger. "Is that right? Well, congratulations – you just made the biggest mistake of your life by threatening my two most precious people. And if you think you're going to make it out of here alive after telling me that, you're delusional."

"It matters not what you think. You know the power we possess, and we are five hundred strong at the moment. With every injury we inflict, our numbers increase and this village will eventually fall. You cannot possibly hope to stop…"

The Minion paused as he watched the chakra cloak form around Naruto, as his eyes turned red and he sprouted three tails in rapid succession. He raised an eyebrow and said, "This is unexpected, Gabriel. I haven't seen you use this power before. When did you acquire it?"

Naruto laughed maniacally as he pushed out a large amount of killing intent. "Just because you haven't seen it before doesn't mean I never had it. Everyone has secrets, and this one's mine." And the three tails lashed out faster than the Minions could follow, wrapping around their necks and lifting them in the air to dangle helplessly before him. They dropped their swords and clawed at them, panicking as they felt the heat begin to rise as it constricted their throats, slowly cutting off their ability to speak and breathe.

"You see, I know the weakness of the forbidden jutsu that Anubis uses to protect you. If I incinerate the lot of you, he won't be able to use your rotting corpses to attack anyone – and that should give me more than enough time to find Anubis and turn him into a bloody smear on my boot."

A grin of pure evil appeared on his face and Naruto said, "You have all been weighed on the scales of justice, and I have found you all wanting of death. Know despair as I pass judgment, _and_ **_BURN_**."

His chakra erupted into a fiery blaze, filling their home with the sickening odor of burning flesh and bone as the men thrashed about in a desperate attempt to free themselves. They stopped moving once their eyeballs had boiled in their sockets and their brains liquefied under the intense heat, but Naruto didn't stop until each body had dismembered itself, collapsing into a smoking pile of limbs. With a final surge, he turned what was left of them into piles of hot ash and performed a Reppushou, dispersing them into the air.

Naruto lowered his chakra cloak and turned around to look at Hinata. She was staring at the spot that the men had been occupying only minutes before, her eyes wide from what Naruto assumed was fear over the way he'd just killed them. Even though he was sympathetic to her feelings, right now he needed her to snap out of it because he was going to need her help, along with the rest of his friends against the Minions of Set.

He kneeled down and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Hinata…I'm sorry you had to see that, but there's a small army attacking the village and I need you to…"

Naruto stopped, noticing that his words weren't getting through to Hinata. She still appeared to be staring off into space, lost in whatever thought was running through her mind. He snapped his fingers in front of her face and said, "C'mon, Hinata…You need to focus right now. I didn't mean to scare you with how I just killed those men, but…"

He was interrupted as Hinata raised her head to look him in the eyes, and she quietly mouthed a single word.

"Hikaru."

"What was that, Hinata?"

"Hikaru. That man said they were after Hikaru." Her eyes grew wide as she shouted, "THEY'RE AFTER HIKARU!" And Hinata shoved him aside and ran for the opening in the wall, intent on protecting her son at all costs. The sensation of overwhelming fear struck at him through the seal, making his body shiver before he quickly shut down the link between them.

Naruto caught her from behind in a bear hug. "Hinata! You need to calm down and listen to me!"

"LET ME GO, NARUTO-KUN! THOSE MEN COULD BE KIDNAPPING HIKARU RIGHT NOW! WE NEED TO STOP THEM!"

He realized that look he'd seen just a few moments ago wasn't fear of what he'd done, but rather from thinking that her son was in grave danger. She was a mother bear protecting her cub, afraid that she wouldn't be there to protect her son when he needed her most.

Naruto spun her around and grabbed her wrists. Tears were flowing from her eyes as she continued to yell at him hysterically.

"WHY ARE YOU STOPPING ME? I HAVE TO GET TO MY SON! I NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT…"

He had to snap her back to reality. At the top of his lungs he shouted into her face, **_"HINATA!"_**

His voice silenced her instantly. She continued to look at Naruto, tears falling from her eyes as she begged for him to release her.

"Please Naruto-kun, I'm…I'm supposed to keep him safe. He's my son and I'm supposed to protect him and keep him safe. Please let me go…Please…"

Naruto sighed. If this were any other time, he would be more understanding but right now he couldn't afford it. He looked at her and said, "Hinata. You need to remember that Hikaru is with Neji and Tenten, and as far as I'm concerned he couldn't be in better hands. They'll defend him with their lives if need be, so I'm asking you have faith in them and their skills to protect him."

She stared at him while her mind and heart struggled against his words. Even though what he'd just said made perfect sense, it didn't change the fact that she wanted to run to Hikaru and protect him at the cost of her life.

"The village is under attack and innocent lives hang in the balance, so I'm asking you to trust me on this. One of the Mienai Segi is out there, and I'm the only one who can defeat him but I'm going to need your help to do it. Do you understand?"

She bit her bottom lip and hesitated a brief moment, before realizing that he was right and reluctantly nodding yes.

He nodded back, dragging her up the stairs and into the study. He walked over and pushed aside one of the bookcases, revealing a hidden room behind it where he kept his weapons and jutsu scrolls, along with everything he'd collected from his time with the Mienai Segi. Under normal circumstances, the village would catalog these and lock them up for safe keeping, but Naruto decided months ago that there was no way he was going to willingly give up anything that might help him protect his precious people.

Naruto pointed at the far wall and said, "Hinata, in that cabinet you'll find a specialized kunoichi outfit that I had made for you just in case something like this happened. Put it on and grab one of the holsters filled with exploding kunai, along with the second katana from the top shelf to your right."

As Hinata stripped to comply with his instructions, she saw Naruto open another cabinet and take out a strange sword. It appeared to be shaped very similar to the weapons held earlier by the Minions of Set; a simple handle with a small crossguard and a curved blade. However, where the blade of the other weapons appeared black this one shimmered in the light of the room.

She couldn't help but be curious and asked, "Naruto-kun, that weapon seems very similar to what those men were carrying. What is it?"

He held the weapon up and said, "It's called a Khopesh sword, Hinata. It's used in a country in the west called Egypt, and the reason it's shaped like this is because it serves a dual purpose. Farmers there use it to harvest their crops in addition to defending their land. This way, they always have a weapon in their hand if the enemy attacks." He stared at it for a second before he continued, "This one is special, though – it allows me to channel wind chakra through the blade, making it much more deadly than a normal weapon. And I thought it might be fitting to use this, since Anubis – the Mienai Segi member we're up against – is named after the Egyptian God of the dead."

Hinata suddenly remembered her conversation with Tenten a few days ago when she heard that name mentioned. "How…How did you know that Anubis was the one attacking us?"

"Because those men I just killed were part of his personal army, and they call themselves the Minions of Set. They're basically a fanatical cult that would follow him to the gates of hell if he asked them to. He makes sure the number of followers always stays around five hundred, and as their ranks grow and members are recruited – willingly or not – he makes sure to keep only the strongest fighters while the rest are…discarded. And since he only keeps the strongest members, they become that much harder to kill with each successive battle. Also, Anubis knows a forbidden jutsu that infects his followers with his chakra, allowing them to not only cheat death, but recruit others to his cause as well." He tilted his head in thought and said, "What's puzzling me is why Saladin sanctioned this attack in the first place. Konoha hasn't done anything to warrant an attack on the scale that Anubis provides. Something's going on behind the scenes and I don't know what it is."

Hinata gave him a puzzled look and said, "Saladin? Who's that?"

"He's the leader of the Mienai Segi. He actually founded the organization and he knows more forbidden jutsu than anyone. He's also the one who teaches the principles of strength and discipline that you saw tattooed on my arms, and only believes in the use of violence if the cause is just or warranted. And that's why I'm confused, because sending in Anubis under the 'eye for an eye' philosophy would mean that Konoha is guilty of something on a grand scale, like genocide." He strapped the Khopesh sword to his back and attached a holster of exploding kunai to his leg before turning to look at Hinata. "Are you ready?"

She grabbed the katana from the rack and nodded. "What do we do now?"

"We need to find Ino, and then get over to the Nara compound and talk to Shikamaru so that he can coordinate our counterattack. We HAVE to eliminate the Minions of Set as fast as possible before Anubis gets a chance to corrupt anyone else in the village with his chakra." His arm encircled her waist and he said, "Now hold on. I'm going to use the Hiraishin no Jutsu to jump halfway across Konoha to the hospital, and then we'll continue on foot from there."

* * *

Shikamaru Nara was generally perceived by his friends as a lazy person, preferring to stare at clouds rather than do any type of menial labor. However, in this case perception and reality couldn't be farther apart. Nobody knew, but the real reason he stared at clouds all day was due to the fact that as a man with an IQ of over 200, his brain was constantly moving – flitting from idea to idea and thought to thought, occasionally fixating on a single item that he couldn't banish from his mind no matter how hard he tried. Staring at clouds brought his pace of thinking down to that of a normal person, allowing him sporadic moments of lucid peace from his own hectic world.

And then there were times when his curse became a gift, to be used to save the lives of his friends and the village he called home. The fourth shinobi war was proof of this.

He knew that Konoha was under attack from the time he heard the first explosion, and surmised that a small army was responsible due to the chain reaction that followed. The strikes were well coordinated and timed, working in perfect harmony with each other but there seemed to be no goal or purpose behind it, which confused him. No matter how many battles he'd fought, there was always a reason to explain why the fight was taking place – it might be money, power, control…it didn't matter, but there was always something. In this case, there didn't seem to be one and until he knew why, formulating a strategy would be most troublesome.

It was at this point in his line of thinking that Naruto, Hinata and Ino landed in front of his house. And it was apparent by the look on his face that Naruto had information about what was happening that no one else did.

"Shikamaru, I need you to use Ino and her Shindenshin no Jutsu to coordinate the defense of the village with the Hokage and the rest of the Jōnin commanders. We have a level five security threat with the potential for moderate loss of life."

"Understood, Naruto. Do you have any idea who's behind the attack, and what we're up against?"

"The guy in charge is named Anubis. He's…someone I used to work with while I was away from the village. And since I know you're going to ask, the answer is no – I don't know why he's attacking Konoha. There's no logical explanation for what he's doing."

Naruto pulled a map of Konoha out of his vest and spread it out on the ground in front of everyone. "Now, the forces that Anubis commands are called the Minions of Set. They number around five hundred, and most of them are about chūnin level with a few jōnin mixed in. They'll be divided up into ten groups of fifty, more than likely attacking central or important sectors of Konoha. I'm guessing these nine points here…" He stabbed the map at various locations with his finger and continued, "With the strongest group protecting Anubis in the central part of the village near the Hospital in sector four."

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow and said, "That's…actually very impressive, Naruto. But what makes you think the attacking squads would be so evenly spaced out, with the strongest force remaining in the middle? Frankly, it seems overly basic and even a genin fresh from the academy could think up a better plan of attack."

Naruto smirked and said, "Anubis is a symmetry freak. Everything he does has to be even and perfect, even if it means sacrificing the lives of his followers in the end."

He pointed at the map again. "Okay, I need you to have the following people engage the enemy squads. Sector one should be Kakashi-sensei and an elite group of ANBU. Sectors two and three can be handled by the Hyūga clan, since they have two houses and can cover more territory. Sector five goes to Choji and the Akimichi clan, and I'll need Kiba and the Inuzuka clan to cover sectors six and eleven. Sasuke gets sector seven, while Lee and Hinata take sector eight. Shino and the Aburame clan get sector nine, and make sure Tsunade stays at the hospital to defend it and take care of the incoming wounded. Since the strongest fighters will be concentrated in sector four, I need Guy-sensei and Kurenai-sensei there, and I'm going to take care of sector ten on my own. Each group will be supported by as many chūnin as we can spare."

Shikamaru noticed that Naruto had called Tsunade by her name and not baa-chan, which meant he was upset with her for some reason. He filed that bit of information away to think about later and said, "What about Neji and Tenten?"

The look on his face became hard and Naruto said, "They stay where they are in the Hyūga compound and defend Hikaru. End of discussion. I'll pick up the slack on the battlefield because of their absence."

Shikamaru immediately understood the message Naruto was conveying with the tone of his voice – _Hikaru will be protected at all costs, and Kami help anyone who fails to do so._

"Now, it's very important that you tell our security forces to avoid being injured by the weapons the Minions of Set are wielding. It will only make things more difficult and the consequences could be dire for everyone if that happens."

"Any particular reason for that?"

Naruto rubbed his temples and said, "The reason Anubis is so feared is because he knows a…special jutsu that he uses on his followers. The long and short is that unless you burn the bodies, he can reanimate them at any time to attack you. And it's not an Edo Tensei, but more like they're marionettes and he's the one pulling the strings. Strength is increased but they know nothing beyond the desire to rip the enemy to shreds. You can cut off the head, and the body still comes at you. If you take out the legs, it will crawl across the ground to inflict damage on anything it can reach."

Shikimaru said, "It sounds a lot like the Puppet Technique that Lady Chiyo and Kankuro could do, but there doesn't have to be a direct line of sight to control them. He can do it simply from the presence of his chakra in their bodies alone. Am I right?"

Naruto nodded. "Essentially, they're an army of the dead. Even more frightening is that the sword each follower carries is infused with his chakra, and if they cut you it will slowly corrupt you and overpower your free will. It infects you like a virus, and you basically turn into a mindless drone with no concept of right or wrong, friend or foe, existing only to do his bidding. I'm not sure how he does it, but one thing I do know that the only way to stop it before it completely takes over is to eliminate Anubis himself."

Ino blanched. "So what you're saying is that unless we reduce them to ashes, we're going up against an enemy that can't be defeated? How the hell are we going to fight against something like this?"

"We kill without reproach, Ino. The most important part is burning the bodies – every piece – because if we don't, Anubis can use them to continually attack our forces. Injury by sword will only increase his ranks, so in the off chance that does happen I won't have very long to take out Anubis – the amount of time will vary depending on the severity of the wound. After that, the chakra corruption will be complete and we run the risk of the damage from it becoming permanent."

Wide eyed, Hinata looked at him and said, "Naruto-kun, this man sounds very dangerous. Are you certain that you can defeat him if you have to?"

He smirked and said, "I'm sure he's not going to make it easy for me, but yes I can. Besides, according to what you told Hikaru I'm the greatest ninja that ever lived – isn't that right?"

Hinata paled and looked away, nodding at the subtle hint he was giving her.

He looked back at Shikamaru and said, "Make sure every sector has someone that can use fire jutsu to burn the bodies. If you need to, have Sasuke hop between sectors two, three, seven and eight while Kakashi-sensei handles sectors one and five. I'll be available to help with the rest since I can travel the fastest. Once that's done I need everyone, especially Kakashi-sensei to get to sector four and take out the remaining force there, but make sure that no one – I repeat, NO ONE – engages Anubis unless they have a death wish. I'm the only one who knows how to take him down permanently. Understand?"

They all nodded, impressed with his leadership abilities but none more so than Shikamaru. He mentally revised his assessment of his friend and classmate, realizing that he wasn't the dim-witted baka from when they were kids. Maybe after this was over, he could challenge Naruto to a game of Shogi.

Naruto turned and said, "I have to go, Hinata. Good luck and please be careful." He tapped the back of his hand. "If you get into trouble, let me know and I'll be there to protect you."

She smiled and briefly kissed him. "You be careful as well, Naruto-kun. And I…I meant what I said earlier. I love you very much."

He returned her smile and said, "I love you too, Hinata-hime. But don't think that because of what's happening you're off the hook. I still have questions I want answered when we're done here, and you and your…accomplices are going to tell me what I want to know."

She pressed her lips together and nodded in understanding. The important thing was that she finally knew he loved her, and that's all she ever wanted. As long as she had that, she could endure anything he might say or do – at least she hoped that was the case.

Naruto leaped off towards the south end of Konoha, while Hinata turned to head west. Shikamaru watched them go, suddenly thinking about Temari and their relationship. He shook his head to clear his thoughts and sighed before saying, "Okay, Ino. I don't know how much time we have, but we've already wasted too much of it. I need you to contact everyone using your Mind Body Transmission technique and don't break contact until I say so."

She nodded and placed her hand on his forehead, closing her eyes in concentration. After a moment he felt his consciousness expand, informing him that the connection was active.

"This message is for the Hokage, ANBU and any other jōnin level ninja within range of this transmission. As you may have surmised, the village is under attack and based on information recently brought to my attention, I've determined the threat to be level five at minimum with possible moderate loss of civilian life. However, casualties can be minimized if you listen carefully to my instructions…"

* * *

**_***SECTOR 1***_**

Kakashi and a squad of elite ANBU had just finished listening to the assessment of the situation from Shikamaru and silently agreed with his counterattack strategy. He turned around to look at the masks of the men surrounding him and said, "You heard him. Right now, Shikamaru is in charge and we're responsible for defeating the group in this sector. Let's move."

One of the ANBU stopped him and said, "Hokage-sama, I must object to this. As leader of Konoha, you should be the one in charge of this operation. Also, please remember that our sworn duty is to protect you, even at the cost of our lives. I would ask that you remain here in the tower and allow us to handle this threat personally."

He looked at the one responsible for the statement. "You seem to be new here. What's your name?"

"It's Sparrow, Hokage-sama."

"Okay Sparrow, let me ask you a question. Did you fight in the fourth shinobi war?"

She shook her head no.

"Then let me remind you of a few things. First of all, Shikamaru is far smarter than I am and because of that, he saved thousands of lives during the war. He's much more qualified than me to lead the counterattack and I'm leaving him in charge. Second of all, I'm well aware that I'm the Hokage, but it's my job to protect Konoha in times like this and as a former ANBU captain myself, I'm certainly not above getting my hands dirty in defense of the village. Third, I haven't had a good fight in years and this is the perfect opportunity to blow off some steam against an opponent that's attacking my home. And fourth…" His voice took on a menacing tone, and the air around him dropped several degrees as he finished, "…do you really think you could stop me if I was determined to go?"

She swallowed hard and said, "N..No, Hokage-sama."

"That's what I thought." He looked at the rest of the ANBU and said, "The next person who utters something that stupid will be put on permanent duty catching Tora for the Daimyo's wife. Are we clear?"

They all quickly nodded in agreement.

Kakashi eye smiled and said, "Good. Now, let's get going. There are enemies to kill and bodies to burn, and we don't have much time left to accomplish this before Naruto needs me at the center of the village."

* * *

**_***SECTOR 7***_**

With an emotionless look on his face, Sasuke charged the remaining eighteen Minions. As the first three stepped forward to intercept him, he slowly unsheathed Kusanagi and channeled some lightning chakra through the blade. He swung downward, cutting the first man in half diagonally from his shoulder to his chest before reversing the blade and slashing the next one in half at the waist. Both men paused for a moment, their faces still in shock before the pieces slowly slid apart, spilling blood and entrails over the ground.

Despite the gruesome scene before him, the third man jumped over the pieces of his former comrades and raised his sword high, planning to attack Sasuke with a simple overhead strike. Snorting in disappointment, he easily caught the man's wrist and threw him over his shoulder, slamming him on his back into the ground before driving Kusanagi through his heart.

Sasuke turned around to look at the remaining men and said, "You and your leader couldn't have come to the village at a better time. You see, I have a pregnant wife at home who's loud and rather irritating at the moment, and every day for the past couple of months she's gotten a little more irritating and a whole lot louder. I'm sympathetic to her plight, since she is carrying my child but due to her condition I have no one to take my daily frustrations out on."

"And that's where you guys come in. I'm not sure where you learned how to fight, but your skills are abysmal and honestly not worth my time. If it weren't for the fact that I knew you would kill innocent people, I wouldn't even bother fighting you. But regardless of her current attitude I do have the safety of my wife to consider, along with all of my friends and the villagers."

He activated the Mangekyo Sharingan and formed Susanoo around him. The remaining Minions of Set looked at the apparition and their faces showed the slightest hint of fear as he said, "Blaze Release: Susanoo Kagutsuchi."

A blade of black fire formed in the right hand of Susanoo and he swung it down into the group of men, engulfing them in unquenchable black flames as he burned them alive, until they were nothing but charred piles of soot. Sasuke dispersed his Susanoo and watched the ashes blow away before contacting Shikamaru.

_Sector seven will be clear in a minute. I have six bodies to burn and then I can move on. Where do you need me next?_

_He heard Shikamaru respond in his mind. Head to sector eight. The enemy presence there has almost been dealt with by Hinata and Lee, and we need you to incinerate the bodies. After that, you and Hinata get to sectors two and three and assist the Hyūga clan with the disposal. Make it quick, because we need you in sector four within fifteen minutes._

_Understood._ He swiftly piled the remaining corpses in a barren area and lit them on fire. He watched them burn for a few moments before moving on, satisfied with his handiwork – as well as feeling a little bit better, since he was able to take his wrath out on something other than a tree for a change.

* * *

**_***SECTOR 8***_**

Lee ducked under the man's blade, letting it sail over him before rising back up and catching him in a vicious uppercut. As the man sailed upwards, he jumped to meet him with his leg lifted high and hit him with a devastating overhead kick, launching the Minion back into the ground before landing beside him. Lee grabbed the top and bottom of his head, twisting it violently and snapping the man's neck, killing him instantly.

He looked around and surveyed the battlefield, noticing that there were only a handful of men left to defeat. Six of the men were being engaged by their chūnin support squad, and they were fortunate to have the advantage of numbers and surrounded them, quickly wearing them down. Nodding in approval to himself, he decided to turn his attention elsewhere since they appeared to have the situation well in hand.

Unfortunately, this group had a large amount that seemed to be above chūnin level – more like tokubetsu jōnin instead – which made them much more difficult to kill. According to the information Shikamaru continued to relay to them via Ino and her Mind Body Transmission technique, the strongest groups belonged to them and Kiba, whereas the weakest groups had attacked Sasuke and Shino. While Lee normally would have relished fighting against such strong opponents, he also realized what was on the line if someone got injured by their weapons and he vowed not to let that happen.

Hinata had killed at least a dozen men with well-placed jyuuken strikes to their hearts, but she was running low on chakra and had switched to using her katana. However, Hinata was struggling with it, since it wasn't her weapon of choice and she hadn't trained extensively for using it in battle, while the men they were facing seemed very skilled in the use of theirs.

As Lee watched, Hinata began to bear down on the man she was fighting, finally gaining the upper hand. She was focused so much on defeating him that she failed to notice a second man appear behind her, ready to strike her down with an overhead slash and Lee remembered Shikamaru specifically saying bad things would happen if anyone received an injury from the oddly shaped swords.

Without thought, he quickly opened the first gate and launched himself at Hinata, tackling her so that when the sword came down, the man hit nothing but empty air. They landed several yards away before Lee set Hinata back down on her feet.

"Thank you for saving my life, Lee. I didn't even notice that man behind me, and I'm glad that…"

Her eyes became wide as she stopped mid-sentence. He followed her gaze and noticed a small cut on his arm, no more than two inches in length with very shallow bleeding.

"Lee! You…You've been hurt! They injured you with one of their swords – we need to get you to the hospital right away!"

Lee smiled, knowing exactly what the wound meant and what would eventually happen to him unless Anubis was defeated. "It's okay, Hinata…I shall fight against our enemy with every breath I have left, and I will leave this life the same way I have lived it – with my flames of youth shining brightly! Yosh!"

As Hinata and Lee prepared to meet the remaining men head on, a voice came forth from the surrounding forest and said, "Amaterasu."

The last handful of men were instantly engulfed in black flames, and they screamed as the flesh charred and slowly melted from their bodies. The remaining chūnin took a step back as Sasuke walked out into the clearing, his eyes showing the Mangekyo Sharingan with Kusanagi held in front of him.

"I heard what you just said, Hinata. Get Lee to the hospital immediately, and I'll let Shikamaru know what happened so he can relay the information to Naruto. The chūnin can finish up here while I move on to sector three to assist the Hyūga clan with the body disposal. You don't have much time, so move it."

_As Hinata and Lee leapt off in the direction of the hospital, Sasuke contacted Shikimaru once again. Just arrived in sector eight, the enemy presence here is burning as we speak. I have sent Hinata and Lee to the hospital; Lee received a small cut on his left forearm so we have to speed up the timetable for defeating Anubis. I'm leaving this sector in the hands of the chūnin on site and moving on to sector three as planned._

_Under normal circumstances I'd agree Sasuke, but I just received word that Sakura is experiencing severe pain in her lower abdomen and needs medical assistance. Head back home and get her to the hospital, while I send Kakashi over to sector three to assist the Hyūga clan._

_Okay. Tell Sakura I'm on my way and let Naruto know about Lee. Hopefully he doesn't turn Anubis and the center of the village into a smoking crater when he learns about what happened._

He heard Shikamaru laughing in his head at that last statement. Sasuke looked at the pile of bodies that the men were piling in the center of the clearing and remarked, "You know, you guys may possibly be the stupidest fucking people I've ever met. Because even though the death I had planned for you would make a normal man cringe, I shudder to think about how Naruto is going to kill Anubis when he finds that Lee was injured saving the life of Hinata."

* * *

**_***SECTOR 6***_**

"Piercing Fang!"

Kiba hit the Minion full force in his chest, his claws ripping the man apart while Akamaru ripped the throat out of the man next to him with his jaws. They turned around and saw six more men slowly advancing on them, swords held low as they eyed him warily.

Kiba immediately surveyed the situation, noticing that several other clan members were busy with their groups. These men seemed highly skilled; definitely jōnin level and all of them were highly skilled with theirs. It was a miracle that none of them had been cut yet, and hopefully that luck wouldn't run out soon.

Kiba looked at the men around him and said, "You guys are really a pain in my ass, you know that? If you think you're gonna take me and Akamaru down that easily, you're crazy. I'll rip your fucking nuts off and feed them to you first."

The men smirked at his comments before one of them spoke. "Your words are hollow, insolent worm. Our leader cannot be stopped, and once this village is under his control he will reward us for our loyal service."

"So you're nothing more than a flock of sheep, following the shepherd around aimlessly wherever he leads you? You don't have an individual thought in those tiny brains of yours? He doesn't give a shit about any of you, I guarantee it. And besides, he's got no chance of making it out of here alive. He pissed off my friend and threatened his family, and that's never a good idea."

The men didn't bother to answer, but instead charged him en masse. Realizing that he needed an attack that greatly increased his speed and power, Kiba performed some hand signs and shouted, "Inuzuka Style: Man Beast Transformation Combo!"

As the smoke cleared, a large two-headed wolf stood where Kiba and Akamaru had been. It bared its teeth and leapt at the nearest man, slashing through his stomach and spilling his entrails over the ground. Faster than the men could think, the wolf wheeled and ripped out the throat of another before disemboweling a third.

The remaining three men acted out of sheer preservation instinct, swinging their swords wildly in an effort to inflict even a small wound upon the insane duo. Dodging expertly, the wolf avoided the initial strikes and hamstrung another man, causing him to collapse on the ground before pinning him with his front paw and tearing out the back of his neck, paralyzing him instantly.

However, it was the extra time spent immobilizing the man that was ultimately the wolf's undoing.

As he felt the sword slicing through the air behind him, the wolf jumped to the side but not before he received a tiny cut from one of the swords. Despite the fact that the wound was so small, he yelped in pain and the transformation was dispersed, showing Kiba lying next to Akamaru who bore the cut that had just happened on his left hind leg.

Smirking, the two men began to advance on him – and managed to get all of three steps before being mauled to death by his Inuzuka packmates.

_Sighing in relief, Kiba contacted Shikamaru. We just finished with sector six. Akamaru got cut so I'm getting him to Hana for treatment. You need to get someone over here to burn up what we've got because the chūnin we had that could do fire jutsu has been killed._

_Shikamaru responded back. Roger that. I just received a communication from Sasuke that Lee was injured, and is heading for the hospital as well. Based on this, we need every able body to meet Naruto in sector four to fight Anubis and the remaining Minions of Set. Get Akamaru to Hana as fast as you can, and then head to the center of the village. I'll let Naruto know what happened and he'll meet you there. Remember, you have free reign to take down the Minions but do NOT engage Anubis under any circumstances._

Kiba snorted. _You couldn't drag me away from that fight. They hurt Akamaru and someone needs to pay. Big time._ And with that, he scooped up his companion and took off running, hoping that Naruto could defeat Anubis before Akamaru was lost to him forever.

* * *

**_***SECTOR 10***_**

Naruto wore a savage grin on his face as he pushed out a massive amount of killing intent, laughing with glee while he decapitated three more Minions with his Khopesh sword. He was still enveloped within his chakra cloak, and three tails swayed behind him as he reached out to touch the body parts that littered the dirt around him, incinerating them instantly and turning them to dust.

He knew that he was drowning in bloodlust, but right now he didn't care. After everything that had happened to him over the past week, he felt that he was entitled to some anger relief – and it was nice to sink his teeth into something more substantial than the diversion Ami no Shirokusa had provided.

The minions scurried around the clearing, trying to hide from his wrath but Naruto was too fast for them. Everywhere they turned he was there, and the look on his face would have made the Raikage cringe as he lopped of head after head, like someone harvesting stalks of wheat.

Just as he wrapped his tails around the last man and reduced him to a pile of ash, he heard Shikamaru in his head.

_Naruto, the current body count stands as ninety percent of all enemy forces NOT in the center of the village have been eliminated. However, we have a serious problem – there are reports of several people who have been injured by the Minions of Set, and among them are Lee and Akamaru. You need to get to the center of the village right now and fight Anubis._

_Naruto felt a sudden tightening in his chest. Lee was injured? Is he okay? What about Hinata, she was with him…is she alright?_

_There was a pause before he answered. Other than the injury, Lee is fine. He was…hurt protecting Hinata. If he hadn't pushed her out of the way, she might be dead right now._

Upon hearing those words, Naruto felt something click in his head and Kurama's chakra cloak flared anew. He ground his teeth at the thought of Hinata getting injured, and only one thought came to mind.

_He will suffer._

Somehow, Shikamaru could feel the massive amount of killing intent that Naruto was pushing out. _Naruto, you need to…_

_I don't need to do anything, Shikamaru. He almost killed Hinata, and she's my most precious person. So I'm going to make sure he suffers the most painful death I know how to dish out, and with his last breath he'll wish he never showed up in Konoha to threaten my friends and family. Tell Kakashi-sensei that if he's not at the center of the village in five minutes, I'll find him and kick his ass so bad, he won't be able to read his Icha-Icha novels for six months._

_Another pause. Okay, Naruto – I'll tell him. Just get there as soon as you can._

_Don't worry, Shikamaru. I have a Hiraishin seal at the hospital, so I'll be there in a flash._

Naruto looked around at what remained of the Minions of Set that littered sector ten and thought about what he'd said to the men who attacked him earlier that day…

_'…and that should give me more than enough time to find Anubis and turn him into a bloody smear on my boot.'_

Anubis had just upped the ante, so now he thought it was time to match his threat and make good on his promise from before.

After all, his nindō was that he never goes back on his word. **_Ever_**.

* * *

**_***SECTOR 4***_**

Naruto landed at the center of the village, and to his surprise the group of Minions had already been dealt with. Might Guy and Kurenai had already left, presumably to assist with defeating the rest of the invading forces. Shikamaru and Ino were waiting for him, while Kiba was sitting on the ground holding his side. Shino was standing in front of him, either trying to protect Kiba or keep him from doing something stupid – he couldn't tell which.

He walked up and asked, "Okay, I'm guessing Guy-sensei and Kurenai-sensei defeated the Minions and are now helping to eliminate any that might be left throughout the village, but what I'd like to know is why you're sitting on the ground looking like that Kiba?"

Kiba bared his teeth and gave Naruto an angry look. "Because that asshole and his freakshow army hurt Akamaru! You think I'm just gonna sit here and wait, and not take a chunk out of his hide for what he to my dog?"

Naruto gave him a hard look. "Damn it, Kiba – you've got a hard head sometimes. Did you ever stop to think that there's a reason why I told everyone not to attack him? It wasn't because I feel like hogging all the glory by taking down myself, it's because I knew you wouldn't be able to injure him and if you tried, you'd be weaker because of it. Am I right?"

The angry expression on Kiba's face vanished and he looked away, before Shino decided to answer for him. "You are correct, Naruto. And after witnessing Anubis brush off the attack from Kiba, the rest of us thought it would be wise to keep our distance and wait for you. Do you happen to know what technique he uses to accomplish this?"

"It's actually an S-rank jutsu called Blood Release. It was originally a Kekkei Genkai of the Sanguis Clan, but Anubis somehow found a way to copy it. Simply put, it allows him to absorb chakra from an opponent by touch and if the person is very low on chakra, it can actually draw out your life force as well and kill you. And once he has your chakra, he can use it for a variety of purposes – such as enhanced strength, speed or even healing – kind of like the Hyakugou that Tsunade and Sakura use. He can suck anyone he catches with it dry and turn them into a lifeless husk within a minute. That's what makes him so dangerous, and it's the reason why I told everyone to wait."

Kiba snorted and said, "Fine, you were right and I was wrong. So what are you gonna do about it? In addition to hurting Akamaru, those pricks also got Lee and almost killed Hinata. How are you gonna beat him if he can't be hurt?"

Naruto displayed a wicked grin, and his eyes turned the darkest blue they'd ever seen as he said, "Don't worry, Kiba…Not only do I know a jutsu that can take him down, but when I use it I promise he'll suffer worse than you can possibly imagine."

His friends could only stare at him with wide eyes and nod, slightly taken aback by the look on his face and his tone of voice. None of them had seen this side of Naruto before, and it sent a collective shiver down their spines.

"And where the fuck is Kakashi-sensei? I told him to meet me here."

Kakashi landed about ten feet away from him. "I'm right here, Naruto. No need to worry."

"Nice of you to join the party. Did you get lost on the road of life getting here?"

"Very funny. I got here as fast as I could." He walked over to stand next to him and asked, "Naruto, I need to know something…Are you okay?"

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

"Because yesterday I saw that our copy of the file wasn't redacted anymore, and the contents were…enlightening, to say the least. I just want to make sure that you're still in control, and not planning on destroying various parts of Konoha because of it."

He chuckled and said, "No, I'm not going to do anything like that. But I know a few people who have a lot to answer for."

Kakashi nodded, satisfied with the answer. "So how about you tell me exactly why you needed me here?"

"Your Chidori attack – just how powerful can you make it?"

A little shocked by the question, Kakashi paused before he answered. "Well, I do have a stronger version of it called Raikiri. Why?"

"If you push it to the maximum, can you maintain it for at least five seconds?"

"It'll drain a good portion of my chakra but yes, I can."

"Good." He crossed his fingers and said, "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Four shadow clones appeared in front of everyone, and three of them sat down to begin gathering natural energy while the fourth remained standing for a moment.

"I want you to hover on the outskirts of the fight. At some point I'm going to hit Anubis in your direction, and when I do I want you to use Raikiri on him with your fingers like this…" He demonstrated on the back of the clone and continued, "…on either side of the base of his spine."

"What exactly will that do?"

"It'll paralyze him for as long as you keep the jutsu going. It's actually a pretty handy technique, so you might want to remember it for the future in case you ever have someone that needs to be incapacitated and brought back to the village alive."

"And you want me to do this at my maximum power? Are you sure that won't kill him?"

Naruto smirked and said, "Not a chance. He's way too tough to be taken down by something like that, and your maximum power will probably be just enough to paralyze him so don't hold back. I only need him immobilized for about five seconds, since I have twenty hand signs that I need to go through for the jutsu I'm going to use."

Kakashi raised his eyebrow and asked, "And what exactly would that be?"

Naruto smiled and said, "Well, you asked me several months ago to show you one of my forbidden techniques so here's your chance. You can use your sharingan to copy this if you like, but I'm positive you don't have the chakra capacity to perform it. No offense."

"None taken, I guess."

"Now this is very important. Once I have Anubis within my jutsu, you need to immediately take your hands off of him and get the hell away from us both. If you're still touching him for longer than a couple of seconds when I hit him full force, you're going to get caught up in it and trust me when I say that you DON'T want that to happen."

Kakashi understood what Naruto was trying to tell him about how dangerous this jutsu was. He nodded and said, "Okay…I'll get to the opposite side of the clearing and wait for you to send him my way. Just be careful, Naruto. You've come a long way in the last few months in repairing the damage done to your personal life, and I think Hikaru needs know the truth of what happened just as much as you did."

His expression became hard and Naruto wore a determined look on his face. "I know, Kakashi-sensei. And before I forget, I just wanted to say thanks for keeping your promise and sending me to Nadeshiko village. It may not look like it, but I'm actually very grateful for what you did."

Kakashi met his gaze and thought he had never seen someone look so happy, and yet so sad at the same time.

_As he walked past, Naruto turned his thoughts inward. Kurama, I'm not going to use your chakra for this fight. If Anubis happens to get his hands on some of it, it'll only make things worse._

**_I agree, so I'll remain hidden deep within you. Although you've made me curious – how are you going to keep him from using the Blood Release jutsu at all?_**

_Simple. I'll use sage mode, and if he absorbs even a fraction of natural energy he'll turn into a stone frog. I'll tell him what to expect and it's up to him whether he believes me or not, but at the very least it will keep him honest about the fight._

**_Very clever, Naruto. Would you care to tell me how you plan on taking Anubis down?_**

_Sure. Remember that forbidden sound jutsu I learned about four years ago?_

**_Naruto could feel Kurama shudder inside his mind. Yes, I do. Even I find that technique to be rather vicious, but his followers did almost kill your mate so I guess the use of it is warranted._**

_As far as I'm concerned it is. Besides, I'd rather not run the risk of him surviving the fight and this way, I know he's never coming back._

Naruto reached the center of the clearing and said, "Hello, Anubis. Care to tell me what the hell you're doing in Konoha?"

Anubis nodded and said, "Hello, Gabriel. It's been some time since we've seen each other – almost three years, if I remember correctly. And to answer your question, I'm here for retribution."

"Retribution against who, exactly? This village hasn't done anything that would warrant an attack on a scale like yours, and I'm quite surprised that Saladin approved of it in the first place."

"Saladin is no longer my leader, as I now follow another. And the village isn't my target for justice. You are."

"Me? What exactly am I guilty of?"

"You're guilty of killing my husband and our unborn child."

Naruto turned in the direction of the voice, and saw a woman emerge from the shadows. He raised his eyebrows and said, "Lady Kamira? In what way are you involved with this?"

She crossed her arms in front of her chest and stared at him with unfathomable hatred. "I'm the one who hired Anubis and that cult of his to attack Konoha. You, along with everyone you've ever known or loved are going to die, except for the two most important things in your life – your wife and son. Anubis wants to keep her as his personal plaything and your son will be his disciple."

"If you honestly think I'm going to allow that to happen, you're just as delusional and insane as your husband was."

She screamed her answer at him, practically frothing at the mouth as she spat the words. "Don't you **_DARE_** talk about him like that! My husband was a great man!"

Naruto snorted. "Your husband was a sadomasochistic pig who enjoyed torturing innocent men, women and children to satisfy his twisted sexual fantasies. The world is better off without him in it, and the fact that you fail to realize how sick an individual he was makes me regret my decision to let you live in the first place. And while we're on the subject, when you say 'unborn child' does that mean you were pregnant with that sadistic fuck's offspring at some point?"

She pointed at him and yelled, "Yes! I was pregnant with our first child when you chose to attack and kill my husband. The stress of losing him caused me to miscarry the one person who could carry on his legacy – AND IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!"

Naruto sarcastically said, "Gee…how unfortunate. I'm all broken up about that. Why don't you tell me where they buried what was left of him and I'll send over a bouquet of dead flowers to show how much I don't care."

Before Kamira had a chance to answer, Anubis cut her off with a gesture. "You need to be silent, female. I will speak from here on out." He looked at Naruto and said, "Well, Gabriel – am I to assume that you and your friends have been systematically eliminating my Minions since the initial attack on your dwelling?"

"That's right, Anubis. And if I had to guess, I'd say that ninety-five percent of them have been turned to dust and scattered across the wind by now." The corner of his mouth turned up and he asked, "You didn't think I'd leave them around to be controlled by you, did you?"

Anubis scowled. "That was an unwise decision, Gabriel. It will take some time to…recruit new followers. Perhaps after I kill you, I'll just use the shinobi of this village to replenish my personal guard."

"Since you're so confident about killing me, how about we raise the stakes?"

"Very well, I'm listening."

"We keep things simple and have a fight to the death." Naruto removed the Khopesh sword from his back and threw it away. "I won't use any weapons to attack you, and you won't use your Blood Release jutsu. Either you kill me and claim all of Konoha as your prize, or I kill you and turn you into a smear on the bottom of my boot."

"And what makes you think I'll agree not to use the Blood Release jutsu?"

"Because of this." He dispelled one of his clones and entered sage mode. "This is a form you've never seen before, where I've basically mastered using nature energy. Don't be fooled, though - it's hard stuff to control, and if you don't know how to do it you'll just turn into a stone statue."

"You're bluffing."

"You really think so? Then you're welcome to take some and try to control it, if you want." He held out his hand and continued, "I won't even put up a fight if you do, because it will only make my job easier, and honestly I'll enjoy watching you petrify in the space of about one minute."

Anubis narrowed his eyes and thought about that for a moment, weighing the pros and cons of the situation. It could be an elaborate lie, however if he took him up on his offer and it turned out to be true, he'll have chosen his own demise. He decided the risk was far too great to chance it.

"Fine, I accept your terms. We will fight to the death, and the winner takes all. Neither of us will use elemental jutsu or weapons to attack the other, and I agree to forgo my use of the Blood Release jutsu. Do we have a deal?"

"Deal. But just so you know, I'll be staying in sage mode during the fight because I don't trust you one bit."

Naruto pushed out a massive amount of killing intent as he dropped into his fighting stance, causing everyone in the vicinity of the upcoming fight to tremble under the pressure of it.

Anubis pushed out his own killing intent and dropped into his own fighting stance, however it was immediately apparent to everyone that Naruto was giving out far more killing intent than his opponent, and they hoped it meant that their friend had the advantage.

The two of them circled each other, waiting for someone to make the first move and begin the fight. After a minute, Naruto decided to goad Anubis into throwing the first punch. He casually sniffed the air and said, "Wow, can you smell that? I believe that odor coming from you is fear. Either that, or you've just pissed your pants – it's hard to tell the difference. Care to enlighten me as to which one it is?"

That did it. Anubis bared his teeth and launched himself at Naruto, quickly striking at his chest. Naruto blocked it and spun, landing a blow to the neck of Anubis and throwing him forward. But even though he was off balance, Anubis lashed out with a backwards kick, catching Naruto in his left knee and making him stagger backward, putting some distance between the two of them.

They faced each other again, once more waiting for someone to make the first move. This time, Naruto struck out and caught Anubis with a right cross to his jaw, before following that up with a left uppercut. At the last moment Anubis dodged to his right and punched Naruto in his right side, launching him back several feet.

Anubis swirled his tongue around in his mouth and spit out a molar. "You're stronger than you look, Gabriel. That punch actually caused me to lose one of my teeth. I'll have to remember to replace that with one of yours."

Naruto winced as he smiled. "You're not so bad yourself, Anubis. You might have broken a rib with that last strike. I always knew you were strong, but it's a shame you don't have the brains to go along with your brawn."

"Who needs brains when you have power? Power gains respect. Power garners the favors of beautiful women. Power means money to do anything I want."

"And where do you think you're going to get it? There's no way you can be that delusional, thinking you sit all alone at the top of the food chain."

Anubis smirked and said, "My leader has promised it to me if I follow him, and I know he will deliver on his promise because he cannot be defeated. It has been foreseen that he will rule all of the elemental nations."

"And yet you haven't told me who this 'leader' of yours is, although you did say that it isn't Saladin. You're kidding yourself if you think someone out there can defeat him, though. He didn't get his name by picking it out of a hat – he's the strongest of us for a reason, and I think you and your leader have forgotten that."

"And YOU forget that no one is unassailable – not even Saladin."

Naruto suddenly disappeared from view, before reappearing behind Anubis and launching an elbow at the back of his head. Anubis ducked and let the blow sail over him while smashing his elbow into the chest of Naruto, striking the same side as before and causing him to wince in pain. Naruto suddenly realized that when he told Kurama to stay deep within him, it would slow down his ability to heal quickly and that this fight might end up causing him more damage than he originally thought.

Naruto ran forward and performed a backwards flip so that he faced in the opposite direction, and noticed that Anubis was running right behind him. He immediately stopped and kicked straight up, catching Anubis in the chin and launching him skyward.

Running out of nature energy, Naruto dispelled his second clone while crossing his fingers in front of him and shouting, "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Six shadow clones appeared in the air, each kicking Anubis higher into the air as they chanted,

"U…zu...ma...ki...BARRAGE!"

As he shouted the final word, the last clone delivered a devastating overhead axe kick to the head of Anubis, rocketing him back down to earth and embedding his body a foot deep in the ground.

Even though he could have launched a follow-up attack, Naruto cautiously stayed several yards away and waited for Anubis to make the next move. The man was far too dangerous, and he refused to give Anubis any opening that he could possibly exploit.

As Anubis extracted himself from the ground, he stood up and staggered a bit, still woozy from the impact of the attack. "Very impressive, Gabriel. That actually hurt me a bit, but I'm guessing you haven't gone unscathed during our skirmish either. Feeling a little sore yourself?"

"Even if I was, I wouldn't tell you. That would mean that I actually cared about what you had to say." And he launched himself at Anubis again, quickly trading blows with him and trying to get in one powerful, lucky strike.

Naruto caught Anubis with a right cross to his face, leaving himself wide open to the counterattack of a fist to the stomach from Anubis, launching him up in the air a bit. Anubis grabbed his arm and flipped him over his shoulder and slammed him into the ground, thinking he might have stunned his opponent but Naruto threw a kick backwards and hit Anubis in the face, causing him to back away for a second while Naruto regained his footing and put some distance between them.

While he waited for the next attack, Naruto had a nagging feeling that something was off with this fight. Anubis was never one to keep his distance and evaluate his options during a battle, but rather he charged in blindly to overpower and pummel his opponent with his strength and forbidden jutsu. While Naruto had eliminated the chance of him using the Blood Release technique, his overall strategy should have remained the same, so why the sudden change? What could he possibly hope to gain, unless…

It suddenly dawned on him that Anubis was trying to stretch this fight out, giving his chakra time to corrupt and overpower the mind of everyone his followers had injured, bringing them under his control and hopefully sway the outcome of the attack on the village. He needed to end this soon, or else his friends might not make it through the night.

Naruto bit his thumb and pulled out a scroll, jumping into the air and unfurling it. He swiped some blood across the length of it and caused a couple dozen kunai to rain over the battlefield. None of them actually hit Anubis, but stuck at random points in the ground throughout the clearing.

Anubis snorted and said, "I thought we agreed not to use any weapons, Gabriel. Are you planning to break our agreement and attack me with these?"

"No, I'm not breaking our agreement and I don't plan on attacking you with these kunai. If you take a closer look at them, you'll notice they're actually quite special."

Anubis looked at the one closest to him and noticed that it had three prongs and there was a seal carved into the handle.

"Interesting design. What do you hope to accomplish with these?"

Naruto dispersed his last clone, recharging his sage mode before disappearing in a flash of yellow light. He reappeared on the other side of the battlefield and said, "This is what I hope to accomplish." He ran full speed at Anubis, before disappearing again.

And then he suddenly appeared before Anubis, driving his fist into his stomach. Before Anubis had a chance to react to the blow, Naruto reappeared behind him, slamming his fist into his spine and launching him forward. He continued this method of assault, giving Anubis no time to react or perform a counterstrike as he appeared from all sides around Anubis, hammering him with sage enhanced blows, attempting to soften him up for the final attack.

Anubis could do nothing except defend himself, since the attacks were too fast to follow. With his arms crossed in front of his face, he continued to take a beating from every angle, hoping that his opponent would wear himself out soon and leave an opening for him to exploit.

However, that moment never came as Naruto appeared in front of him suddenly and drove a fist directly into his chest, throwing his former Mienai Segi teammate backwards several yards, almost to the edge of the clearing.

Naruto stopped, bringing his hands together and shouted, "NOW, SENSEI!"

Kakashi emerged from the darkness with a Raikiri in his right hand. He ripped the shirt off of the back of Anubis and placed two fingers on either side of the base of his spine, pushing out the maximum amount of power he could manage, just as Naruto had instructed him to do.

The effect was immediate, as Anubis went rigid, unable to move as the electricity from the attack paralyzed him. Everyone watched as his body twitched uncontrollably, as if he were in the thralls of a seizure.

As soon as Kakashi started his attack, Naruto raised his chakra level to the maximum and began running towards Anubis, quickly flashing through hand signs…

_Ram, Dragon, Ox, Dragon, Snake, Tiger, Rat, Bird, Monkey, Bird…_

Kakashi was tempted at the moment to use his sharingan and copy the technique, but keeping his Raikiri at the maximum level was using every ounce of concentration and chakra he had left. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead as he struggled to maintain it while he watched Naruto finish the remaining hand signs...

_Ox, Ram, Boar, Bird, Horse, Snake, Dog, Dragon, Tiger, Dragon…_

At the completion of the last hand sign, he pushed out a tremendous amount of killing intent that made everyone in the vicinity shudder before slamming his palms into the chest of Anubis and shouting, **_"FORBIDDEN ART: UNSTABLE RESONANCE!"_**

Kakashi removed his hand from the back of Anubis as jumped back from them fast as he could. Shino and the others watched Naruto from the far side of the clearing, wondering what he was doing to Anubis until Kiba screamed and slapped his hands over his ears.

They all looked at each other, confused at the action until Shikamaru suddenly went pale and yelled out, "Everyone! Get your hands over your ears right now!"

They all obeyed, wondering why he ordered them to do so until a sound began to leak through their fingers, growing louder with each passing second. It was a horrifying, gut wrenching sound that sent shivers down their spine and out to every corner of their body. It was unlike anything they'd ever heard before, but the best comparison would be the sound of metal grinding against metal, mixed with fingernails being raked across a chalkboard.

They watched as the jutsu continued to ravage Anubis, unable to control his body as it flailed about. Whatever was happening to the man seemed to be on another level of pain – not one that simply strikes at an individual part of your body but rather an all-encompassing, crucifying fatality that slowly permeates every part of your being. Helpless against the technique, Anubis couldn't move or scream, only able to stare straight ahead into the eyes of his opponent.

After several seconds, they all noticed that the outline of Anubis began to blur and shimmer. The sound that had been torturing them grew ever louder, clawing at their eardrums – and then unexpectedly, Anubis screamed in unbearable agony before exploding into a cloud of red mist about twenty feet in diameter.

An eerie silence came over the clearing as the crimson fog slowly fell to the ground. Naruto turned around and began to walk back to where his friends were waiting, making it almost three steps before a voice rang out…

"YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE!"

He peered over his shoulder and saw Lady Kamira with a savage look on her face, frothing at the mouth and screaming at him in rage. "Don't think you've escaped my wrath, Gabriel! You might have beaten that worm I hired to kill you, but this isn't over by any means! I'll find and hire someone else, and then I'll attack this village again! Everyone here will suffer and die because of you, and the life of your wife and son WILL be forfeit…"

That was as far as she got before everyone saw a chidori emerge from her chest. Shocked, she stared wide eyed at it for a moment as she tried to draw a breath, before a fountain of blood erupted from her mouth.

A second later her eyes rolled up into her head and she fell forward, revealing Kakashi standing behind her. He deactivated his chidori and looked at Naruto. "No charge for that. And you're welcome." Then he disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

Naruto turned back around, intending to join his friends but a thought came to mind and he paused for a moment, dragging his boot across a patch of ground that was still covered with the remains of his former Mienai Segi associate. He lifted the bottom and inspected it, nodding in satisfaction before he resumed his walk across the clearing.

His friends stared at him in horror as he approached; their eyes wide as they noticed his clothes and face were soaked in blood, thinking that if death were to take a human form it would look just like their friend coming towards them right now.

They all remained silent, unsure of what to say until Kiba decided to speak. "Naruto, what…what the fuck did you just do to that guy? That sound was the most horrifying thing I've ever heard. And what the hell was that thing you just did with your boot?"

Naruto wiped some of the blood from his face and said, "Well, I promised Anubis at the beginning of this fight that if I killed him, he'd end up as a smear on the bottom of my boot. And everyone knows that I never go back on my promises. Right?"

Dumbfounded, they all nodded at him in agreement.

"And as far as the jutsu I just used on him, I basically just made every cell in his body vibrate at a different frequency. The sound you heard was a side effect from that."

Everyone paled upon hearing the words and their jaws dropped, except for Kiba who said, "What does that have to do with anything?"

Naruto pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "Shino, Shikamaru – can you explain it to him for me? I'm going home to clean up before heading to the hospital. I don't think it'll be a good idea for me to show up there looking like this." And with those words, he vanished in a flash of yellow light.

Dumbfounded, he looked at Shino and said, "Okay. You wanna tell me what the hell he just did to that guy?"

"Kiba, let me explain this to you in a way you'll understand. You profess to have a better sense of hearing than any one of us here at the present moment, correct?"

He nodded in agreement.

"Have you ever been around a group of people singing in perfect harmony? To a person with such an enhanced sense of hearing, how does that sound?"

"It actually sounds really good." He gave Shino a confused look and asked, "Where are you going with this?"

Shino held up a finger. "Just follow my line of thinking. So if the sound is really good, would you want to stay and continue to listen to it?"

"Sure. Who wouldn't?"

"Okay, now imagine the opposite was true. You were around a group of people, and every one of them was singing off-key and in complete disharmony. What would you do then?"

Kiba raised his eyebrows and said, "Well, I'd want to get as far away from them as fast as I could. Why?"

"Remember what Naruto just said. The jutsu he just used on Anubis made every cell in his body vibrate at a different frequency – like they were all singing out of tune with each other. So using the same analogy, that means…"

Just like everyone else, Kiba turned pale and said, "That every part of his body…ran away from everything else."

Shikamaru nodded. "Naruto just ripped Anubis apart at a cellular level. That's where the sound came from, and that's why he turned into a gigantic could of vapor. There probably isn't enough of him left to soak up with a sponge, and I'd say that his statement about Anubis suffering worse than we could possibly imagine was spot on. I can't think of a more brutal way to kill someone than that."

They all looked at each other, stunned at what they had just witnessed. While the old Naruto that everyone knew wouldn't hurt a fly if he didn't have to, the Naruto everyone saw tonight had no problems killing those who hurt his precious people in ways that would make Ibiki Morino cringe.

**_Believe it._**

* * *

A/N: Okay, so I know that everyone was waiting for some explanation regarding Hikaru, and you didn't see anything in this chapter that moved that part of the story forward – but that's because the entire next chapter will be devoted to clearing up that mystery. I know you guys want to see it and I'll push it out as fast as I can, but just don't expect it within a week or so.

I also plan on explaining the whole Mienai Segi thing next chapter – particularly, the names. I'm almost positive I'll get some reviews or PM's that ask about "Gabriel", "Anubis" and "Saladin". There's a reason for all that and you'll find that out because it will be essential for what I plan on writing in future chapters.

I really had a hard time writing this chapter; I must have redone it about a half dozen times because every time I wrote something it just didn't seem to flow correctly. I also didn't want it to be too long, and it still turned out bigger than any other chapter I did which not only shocked me, but also told me how much time and energy I put into this thing. This exhausted me mentally and hopefully I won't have to do this again for awhile. Writing lemon scenes is far easier than this thing was.

**_Credit where credit is due:_** Wanted to make sure that credit is given for the idea about using the Raikiri as a taser to paralyze an opponent. That little idea came from the head of fellow author **Third Fang**, so kudos to him.

**_Recommendation time!_** Okay, I wasn't going to give one this chapter but I neglected to do so last time. But I thought a little bit of opposite fun might be good for a change so I'm going to mention a small story called **The Ring That Binds** by **softwinds**. It's only six chapters long, but if you'd like to read a short, romantic NaruHina story then check it out. The author is from Malaysia but once again I'm impressed with how well the story is written so give it a read and leave a review if you like it. Hopefully it will help churn out the next chapter, because it was left on a little bit of a cliffhanger and I'd like to see the next one.

Here's the link; just remove the spaces and you know what to replace the stars with:

www . fanfiction . *** / u / 2363385 / softwinds

So what's coming up? Next chapter will be titled "Tell Me Why", and I'm sure you can all figure out what it will be about. A lot will be revealed when it comes out, there will be surprises all around and future plot twists to boot. So please do me a favor and leave a review – I wasn't kidding when I said they help me write, as I sacrificed quite a bit these last few weeks to get this one done but the words of my followers drove me on when writer's block threatened to take me down. So keep it up let's see more of them!

That's all for now. Take care and stay safe.

Serious Sam


	15. Ch 14: Tell Me Why

14\. Tell Me Why

**_Spider Pig, Spider Pig. Does whatever a Spider Pig does. Can he swing, on a web? No he can't, he's a pig. Look out, he is a Spider Pig. Chapter 14, y'all!_**

Okay…Chapter 14 is here with the answers to some of your questions. While this chapter will clear up the mystery surrounding Hikaru, it won't explain anything about the Mienai Segi. This chapter was simply too long so I'll put that part in the next one.

Now, as for this chapter – there's quite a bit of information here, plot twists (for some people) and revelations to go around – some good, some bad depending on your point of view. All I'm going to ask is that you read the entire thing – AUTHORS NOTES INCLUDED – before you PM me or leave a review. As the title says, there's a reason why things happen like they do. And there's a reason why I wrote this like I did. And I'll explain everything at the end so as not to spoil it for everyone.

I put a lot of effort and a TON of emotion into this chapter, because I wanted to convey some really strong feelings by every party that I referenced. Hopefully I've done just that and everyone appreciates the end result.

**ZodiacBirdy:** Yes, you guessed correctly. The symmetry reference for Anubis was a small homage towards Death The Kid from Soul Eater. Nice catch!

**Weirdismyname:** Thank you for the wonderfully supportive words. You'll probably enjoy this chapter more than anyone, so I hope that you like it and it gives you inspiration to update your own story soon **(Beyond and Heiress' Purpose - check it out, everyone!)**

**Softwinds:** Get better soon! Hope the creative juices start flowing again and you update **The Ring That Binds.**

So let's get this over with. And since Halloween is right around the corner, I thought I'd give you guys a two-for-one on the quote and disclaimer for this chapter. It's the same movie for those who don't get it. Enjoy!

**_Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto, and I have to say that it's nice to finally meet you, Masashi Kishimoto._**

**_Masashi Kishimoto – So, we meet at last, whoever you are._**

**_Disclaimer: Just so you know, there's a couple of things they don't teach you in Harvard Business School. One is how to cope with defeat, the other is how to handle a shotgun. I'm going to do both right now._**

**_Masashi Kishimoto – Wait! If you kill me, you'll never know where the treasure is buried!_**

**_Disclaimer – Treasure? What treasure?_**

**_Masashi Kishimoto – Umm, the treasure of…Ima Weiner._**

**_Disclaimer – I'm a weiner?_**

**_Masashi Kishimoto – Ha ha ha! That's still classic! (+1 if you get the reference.)_**

* * *

Chapter 14 – Tell Me Why

Naruto walked into the hospital and stopped at the front desk. The woman behind the counter had her back turned to him, so he cleared his throat to get her attention.

"Ahem! Excuse me, could you tell me what room Rock Lee is in?"

She turned around and said, "Oh! Hello, Naruto-san. Did you just say you're here to see Rock Lee?"

"Yes. Could you tell me what room he's in please?"

The woman picked up a clipboard and flipped through several pages. "Lee…Lee…Ah, here we are! He's in room 512. Go down the hallway and take the stairs to the fifth floor, then make a left and he'll be in the fourth room on the right."

Naruto nodded and said, "Thank you." He really didn't need directions around the hospital, since he'd been a frequent visitor here from the ages of three to twelve. He could probably walk the hallways blindfolded if he wanted to, but he appreciated the woman trying to be helpful towards him. It was certainly a refreshing change from the way he was treated in the past.

As Naruto walked down the hallway, his thoughts wandered over the events that had occurred today. Once he was near Konoha, he decided that before he talked to anyone else he wanted to hear what Hinata had to say about what he'd found out in Nadeshiko Village. Kurama had been correct in saying that he knew what happened, but didn't know why it happened – and until he knew that, he thought it would be best for Hikaru to stay as far away from the conversation as possible since the discussion could get rather heated between Hinata and him.

Deciding to pick him up at the academy, he brought him to Neji and asked him to watch him for the night because he wanted to spend some time with Hinata alone. Neji smiled and agreed, thinking it was because he hadn't seen Hinata in a week, and Hikaru thought it was because he planned on making good on his promise to tell Hinata that he loved her. Even though it hadn't been part of his original plan, in the heat of the moment he'd ended up doing so anyway and he felt better for it, and Hikaru had been right – it had made Hinata happy. What shocked him during the conversation was that somehow, Hinata had gotten the thought in her head that he still loved Sakura more than her.

**_Sakura._** A scowl formed on his face as he thought of her. Over the last few months, he'd given quite a bit of thought to his life and the relationship he'd had with her. She was the first girl who didn't treat him like a pariah when she'd found out that the nine-tailed fox was sealed in him. She was his very first precious person, the one he protected without regard for his own life during every mission they had together as Team Seven. He remembered the way she'd smiled at him and how she always thanked him for keeping her safe.

But along with that came other memories – of how often she used him as her private punching bag whenever he tried to be friendly with her. About how she never really recognized him or his feelings until Sasuke had left the village the second time, and even then her heart had remained frozen and cold towards him, making him think that she'd merely been acting the entire year they'd been together. There had never really been warmth or a reciprocation of his love for her, and the more he'd thought about it, the more he realized that all he ever was to her was simply a friend, someone to help her achieve her own personal happiness, and in the end he'd fallen for it and given her what she wanted most in life – which wasn't him, and never had been. It had always been Sasuke.

He suddenly wondered if Sasuke knew what had happened between him and Sakura, or had she kept him in the dark just as Hinata had done to him with Hikaru? Knowing Sakura, it was the first choice and Sasuke was just as ignorant as he'd been merely a week ago, until he'd read the mission file.

As he reached the top of the stairs and rounded the corner, he was roused from his thoughts when he almost ran into Shizune as she was making her rounds.

"Oh! Naruto-kun, you startled me. Are you here to see your friends?"

_Friends?_ He only knew of one person that should be here in the hospital, and that was Lee. He wondered who else might be here, since the only other injury he knew about was Akamaru, and he would be at the veterinary clinic with Hana. He decided to play along and said, "Of course. I'm going to see Lee first. The front desk told me he was in room 512, correct?"

"Yes, it's just down the hall on the right. Arekusu is in there with him but I'm sure he'd be very happy to see you as well."

"Thanks." The tone of his voice became low as he asked, "By the way, is Tsunade here in the hospital?"

_Shizune gave him a startled look. He never calls Lady Tsunade that – it's always Baa-chan. And why the sudden change in his tone of voice? Is he angry with her about something?_

"Umm…She's actually in surgery right now patching up one of the villagers who was severely wounded. Why?"

Wondering if Shizune had been in on the secret, he decided to gauge her reaction to a few statements. He stared directly into her eyes and said, "I just need to talk with her about a certain…mission involving pink flowers. Or perhaps you could help me. Do you know anything about the mission involving pink flowers?"

She gave him a confused look and said, "Uh, no…I really have no idea what that is. I wish I could help, but there were quite a few things Lady Tsunade made decisions about that I wasn't privy to, so whatever that is you should probably ask her about it directly."

Naruto watched her carefully as she made the statement, looking for any sign that she might be lying to him but didn't notice anything unusual. It appeared that Shizune wasn't involved in the cover up regarding Hikaru, and it made him feel better knowing that someone he always considered like a sister to him hadn't been part of the whole elaborate scheme.

"Thanks, Shizune nee-chan. Could you give Tsunade a message for me? Tell her that I'll be by here tomorrow to talk about Hikaru and the mission involving pink flowers. She'll know what it means."

_Again with calling her Tsunade. He's definitely angry with her about something, and there's no doubt it has something to do with this pink flower mission he keeps mentioning. I wonder what it could be._

"S...Sure, Naruto-kun. I'll give her the message."

He nodded in thanks and continued to walk down the hall, leaving a puzzled Shizune standing in the hallway. Even though he wanted answers from Tsunade as well, he didn't want to get distracted from his real reason for coming here which was to check on the health of his friend.

He entered the room and saw Lee in bed while Arekusu sat next to him, holding his hand as they stared into each other's eyes. Naruto smiled at the scene and felt happy for his friend. It was nice that Lee had someone in his life that cared about him so much.

Lee tore his gaze away from his girlfriend and looked to see who it was.

"Naruto! It is good to see you, my friend. Did we save the village from Anubis and his followers?"

"Yeah, they're gone thanks to you and everyone else, and I took care of Anubis – he won't be bothering anyone ever again. I just wanted to come by and check on...URK!"

He was suddenly at a loss for words as Arekusu had crossed the distance between them and embraced Naruto in a hug. Tears fell from her eyes and her voice shook with emotion as she said, "Thank…Thank you, Naruto-san for saving Lee's life. I…I don't know what I would have done if…if…"

Embarrassed at the sudden display of emotion, Naruto awkwardly patted her back and said, "Umm…You're welcome, Arekusu. It's no big deal, really – Lee is my friend, and friends help each other out when they need it." He gave Lee a big thumbs up and said, "Isn't that right, bushy brows?"

Lee smiled and returned the gesture. "You are correct, Naruto! Yosh!"

Arekusu pulled away from Naruto and wiped the tears from her cheeks, laughing as she did so. "I'm…I'm sorry about hugging you like that, Naruto-san. I'm just very grateful for what you did."

"It's not a problem, really. And Naruto-san is way too formal – why don't you just call me Naruto? That's how my friends refer to me anyway."

Her eyes grew wide and she said, "F…Friend?"

"Of course! You're Lee's girlfriend and very special to him, and that makes you my friend as well." He cocked his head to the side and asked, "That is, if you'd like to be my friend?"

The Hero of the Leaf wanted to be **_her_** friend? It was almost incomprehensible. She bowed and said, "I…I would be most honored to be your friend, Naruto-sa…I mean, Naruto."

"Good! It's settled then." He turned back to Lee and asked, "So you're going to be okay?"

Lee nodded. "They are keeping me overnight for observation, just in case. However, I should be released first thing in the morning."

"Glad to hear it. By the way, I thought I remembered Shikamaru telling me during the battle that Hinata was bringing you here to the hospital. Do you have any idea where she is?"

"Certainly. She is down the hall visiting Sasuke and Sakura in her room."

He raised his eyebrows and asked, "Sakura's here? She shouldn't have been anywhere near this fight, so how did she end up in the hospital?"

"Lady Shizune informed us that sometime during the fight, Sakura experienced some lower abdominal pain and required medical attention. So Shikamaru ordered Sasuke to bring her to the hospital, so that they could run some tests to check on the health of her baby. She is in room 532 if you would like to say hello."

So **that's** what Shizune had been talking about when she asked if he was here to see his friends. While he would have preferred a better venue, everyone he wanted to talk with had conveniently found themselves in one spot.

He smiled and said, "I think I'll do that, Lee. I'll see you guys later. And make sure you take good care of him, Arekusu – bushy brows is one in a million."

As he left the room, he saw Arekusu reach out to hold Lee's hand as they once again stared into each other's eyes. He thought to himself, _If there was ever a match made in heaven, it's those two. Hopefully Lee won't be as dense as I was before asking her to marry him._

He walked down the hall and rounded the corner to a small section of private rooms. While the hospital had rooms for a large number of contingencies, this group was special. Each one was three times larger than normal, built to be used by important dignitaries and royalty for when they came to Konoha for medical treatment. Not only did they have a sitting area with a couch and several chairs to be used for meetings and such, but they also had silencing seals in every room so that conversations couldn't be heard beyond a few feet of the entrance – which was purposely done so that the personal bodyguard of whoever was in the room could hear any calls for assistance or cries for help if need be.

_I guess luck is on my side tonight, he thought. I can't think of a more perfect place to have this conversation right now._

He entered the room and saw Sakura resting comfortably in bed, hooked up to a fetal heart monitor to constantly check on the condition of the baby while Hinata sat in a chair next to the bed, hands folded neatly in her lap. Sasuke stood at the end of the bed with the same impassive look he always had, watching the vitals on the screen to make sure they remained within normal range.

Hinata saw him come in the room and jumped up to hug him. "Naruto-kun! I was worried about you, are you all right?"

He smiled and said, "I could say the same thing about you, Hinata. Shikamaru told me what happened to Lee during the fight. Are you sure you're okay?"

She blushed and nodded. "Lee saved my life. He's in the hospital down the hall; would you like to go see him?"

"I already did Hinata, thanks. He seems to be doing fine since I killed Anubis, and the corrupt chakra is being purged from his system. Arekusu is with him, and I'm positive that she'll help him make a speedy recovery."

"You…You killed Anubis? How?"

The expression on his face turned dark and he said, "Well, when I heard that you were almost killed by one of his followers, I decided to make good on my promise to turn him into nothing more than a bloody smear on the bottom of my boot. And before you ask Sasuke, the answer is yes – that's about all that's left of him. You'd probably need a mop to pick up the rest, and even then you wouldn't get much. He won't be bothering us again."

A slight smile graced the corners of Sasuke's mouth and he nodded in satisfaction at the statement. "Nice work. The only thing I'm sorry about is that I didn't get to kill him myself."

Naruto returned his smile and said, "There's always next time." He kept the smile on his face as he looked at the last person in the room. He stared at her for a second before grabbing a chair and dragging it over to the foot of the bed, turning it around so he could lean against the backrest as he sat down.

"Hello, Sakura."

She gave him a blank stare and said, "Hello, Naruto."

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, thanks for asking."

"You're welcome. Lee told me why Sasuke brought you to the hospital. How's the baby?"

"The baby is doing fine, I was just experiencing some round ligament pain. It's nothing serious."

"Good, good. Glad to hear it." The grin never left his face as he continued to stare at her.

After a few seconds, her eyes narrowed as she looked at him and said, "What? Why are you staring at me with that stupid smile on your face?"

"Oh, nothing. I'm just enjoying the moment of you, me and Hinata being here, like we're one big happy family. That's all."

Upon hearing this, Hinata turned pale and sat back down in her seat but the effect on Sakura was just the opposite. A scowl appeared on her face and she said, "Shut the hell up Naruto."

"Oh, I don't think so – not this time. I have some questions that I want answered about Hikaru, and the two of you are going to tell me what I want to know."

"Tough shit. I'm not saying anything to you or anyone else about him. Now get out of my room."

"Not a chance, Sakura. And just so you know, I'm going to tell Sasuke the truth about Hikaru whether you answer my questions or not. So it would probably be in your best interest to do so."

Sasuke looked at Naruto and Sakura as they stared daggers at one another. After a moment of silence he asked, "What's he talking about, Sakura?"

"He's not talking about anything. Get him out of my room, right now."

Naruto chuckled and shook his head. "Sakura, you seem to be forgetting where I've been recently." And he reached into his vest, pulled out the mission file folder and handed it to Sasuke.

"Here you go, teme. The part you'll be interested in starts on page seventeen, but the pieces you'll REALLY want to see are on pages nineteen and twenty five."

Sakura looked at Naruto and asked, "What the hell did you just give to him?"

"It's the mission file from Nadeshiko Village. Lady Shizuka gave it to me after I completed the mission."

Sakura's eyes suddenly went wide and the fetal heart monitor began to beep faster. She held her hand out and in a firm tone of voice said, "Sasuke, give me that file."

He looked up from flipping through the pages of data and said, "What did you just say to me?"

The beeping on the monitor started to become erratic as she shouted at him, _"I said give me that file right now, Sasuke! I don't want you reading it!"_

The look on his face changed and he gave Sakura a cold, penetrating stare. The temperature in the room dropped several degrees as he activated his sharingan and said, "You know better than to threaten me, Sakura. Since you're dead set against me doing so, I'm going to read this file whether you like it or not. Now lie back in the bed and relax, otherwise you might harm the baby. And I'm positive you don't want that to happen."

She stared at him for a few seconds before leaning back in bed. As Sasuke walked over to sit down on the couch, she turned her gaze towards Naruto and said, "I won't forget this."

Naruto gave her the same cold stare Sasuke had given her. "And neither will I, Sakura. Now, since Sasuke needs some time to read the file I just gave him, I'll give you a few minutes to rest while I ask Hinata some questions first."

At the mention of her name, Hinata raised her head and looked at him. He could see the fear in her eyes as she said, "I…I understand, Naruto-kun and I'll do my best to answer your questions. I…I just hope that you'll still love me afterwards."

He sighed and said, "I promise that no matter what your answers are, I'll still love you Hinata-hime. But that doesn't mean I won't be angry with you about it."

She chewed her bottom lip and nodded in acceptance, realizing it was the best offer she was going to get under the circumstances.

"First question. Since I've returned to the village, you had ample opportunity to let me know I was Hikaru's father. Yet at every turn, the two of you became defensive and secretive regarding that fact. I want to know why you felt it necessary not to tell me."

**_***Sidestep***_**

"Excuse me, could you tell me what room Sakura Uchiha is in?"

The nurse looked up and said, "Certainly, sir. She's down the hall in the private section, room 532. It should be the last door on the right."

"Do you happen to know if Hinata Namikaze is in there with her?"

"I believe so, yes. She originally came in with Rock Lee, but when Arekusu arrived she went down to visit Sakura. I think that was about an hour ago."

Neji smiled at the nurse and said, "Thank you."

As he walked down the hallway towards room 532, Hikaru looked up at him and said, "Thanks for bringing me to the hospital to see mom, Uncle Neji. I just wanted to make sure she's okay."

"That's quite all right, Hikaru. If I knew my mother was in the hospital, I would have asked for the same thing. However, don't forget that your mother is a very strong and capable kunoichi. I'm sure she's fine."

Hikaru nodded at him. "That still doesn't mean I can't be worried about her."

Neji smiled at the boy. He may be loud and overly rambunctious at times, but he had a good heart and cared a great deal for his mother. Despite the secrecy surrounding who his father might be, he was proud to call Hikaru his nephew.

They had both rounded the corner and were just about to open the door when they heard a voice come from inside the room. Neji immediately recognized the person speaking as Naruto.

_"First question. Since I've returned to the village, you had ample opportunity to let me know I was Hikaru's father. Yet at every turn, the two of you became defensive and secretive regarding that fact. I want to know why you felt it necessary not to tell me."_

It took a moment for his brain to process the statement he just heard. It was an important piece of information, and the statement was said in such a way that suggested more would be revealed through the conversation that was to follow. In an instant, he quickly knelt in front of Hikaru and covered his mouth with his hand as he placed a finger over his own lips, giving Hikaru the signal to remain silent. After a few seconds, Hikaru nodded in understanding as Neji removed his hand from the boy's mouth and stood up.

It was very bad form to eavesdrop on a private conversation like this, but right now Neji didn't care. He knew that the conversation they were about to hear would finally reveal the truth regarding Hikaru, and there was no way either he or his nephew were going anywhere.

**_***End Sidestep***_**

"First question. Since I've returned to the village, you had ample opportunity to let me know I was Hikaru's father. Yet at every turn, the two of you became defensive and secretive regarding that fact. I want to know why you felt it necessary not to tell me."

Her eyes welled up with tears and Hinata blinked a few times in an attempt to clear them. She looked at Naruto and in a quiet voice said, "I was afraid."

He looked at her with a stunned expression and asked, "Did…Did I just hear you say you were afraid, Hinata?"

The tears continued to fall from her eyes as she nodded at him.

"Afraid of what, exactly?"

"Of you taking him away from me. All I could think about was you finding out he was your son, and hating me for keeping him from you all these years. Then you'd decide to take Hikaru and leave the village, and I'd never see him again."

"That excuse might have worked before we were married, but what about after? Do you think I'm such a callous, cold hearted person that I would take Hikaru and leave you behind in the village once I found out I was his father? Especially after everything I did for you? FOR US?"

After a few moments, she shook her head no.

"Then why, Hinata? What were you so afraid of that you couldn't tell me the truth AFTER we were married?"

She sniffed a few times and wiped some of the tears from her cheeks. "It…It wasn't just the fact that I was afraid of losing Hikaru. I…I was afraid of losing you too."

He looked at her and said, "You've got to be kidding me, Hinata. What could possibly make you think that you'd lose me like that?"

She looked at him with pleading eyes and said, "Because I thought you didn't love me. All...All I ever wanted was for you to love me like you loved Sakura all those years ago. I wished so many times that you would notice how I felt about you, and chase after me like you chased after her but that never happened – even after I confessed my love for you during the fight with Pain, almost at the cost of my own life."

"My dream since I was a little girl has always been to marry you, Naruto-kun. You were – and still are – my first and only love. I always thought how wonderful it would be to settle down and have a family with you as we grew old together. When you left the village, I thought that dream was lost to me forever but then Kami blessed me with Hikaru, and even though he could never replace what you mean to me, I was happy to have someone in my life that carried a little part of you."

"And…And then somehow you returned to the village in my most desperate hour and we were married. The dream I had thought was lost to me forever finally came true, and I had everything I ever wanted. And I was afraid that if you knew the truth, you'd hate me so much that you'd take Hikaru and find someone else to start a new life with – someone who would love you like I thought you loved Sakura. I…I was so scared of losing you both, Naruto-kun. Every scenario that I went through in my mind where I told you the truth ended with me being alone, and I…I didn't want to have my dream ripped away from me like that. I wouldn't want to live anymore if something like that happened."

The silence in the room was deafening, only broken by the occasional sobs from Hinata as she continued to cry, and the flipping of pages as Sasuke continued to read the mission file.

After a minute, Naruto frowned and said, "You know Hinata, when I originally read the mission file I told myself that there was no chance of you giving me a reasonable explanation for why you didn't tell me about Hikaru. After hearing what you just said, I want you to know that I understand why you were afraid, but I'm still very disappointed and angry for thinking I would ever do something so cruel to you, especially after what I went through with Sakura."

She raised her head and looked at him. Since there were no emotions coming at her through the seal, she knew that Naruto had shut the connection down on purpose. However, the hurt she had felt from him earlier was clearly reflected in his eyes.

"You're supposed to know me better than anyone, Hinata – and not just because you're my wife. When we were younger, you were the one who followed me around everywhere, even when the ANBU who were assigned to watch me didn't care if I lived or died. Are you telling me that after all these years, you saw or heard me do something that made you believe I was capable of hurting you that badly?"

She knew he was right and quickly shook her head no.

"Exactly. But even if you forget all that, it still doesn't explain why you never had anyone come looking for me. Do you have an answer for that?"

Hinata gave him a puzzled look and said, "What…What do you mean, Naruto-kun? We were told that no one knew where you had gone, and there was no way to find you."

His eyes went wide in shock at her statement. "Are you telling me that for the last eight years, you never had anyone come looking for me because you were told that no one knew where I was? And you BELIEVED them?"

She nodded her head yes. "Why? Are you saying that someone knew where to find you?"

He stared at her incredulously for a moment. "Hinata, let me ask you a question. If no one knew where to find me, then how is it possible that I just HAPPENED to show up in Konoha when you needed me most? Did you actually believe that it was merely an unbelievable coincidence?"

She felt a pit form in her stomach as she stared back at him, knowing what the answer must be.

"The day I returned to Konoha, I asked Kakashi-sensei how he knew where I was. He told me that after he became Hokage, one of the first things he did was send out a reconnaissance mission to find out that bit of information. He's known how to get in touch with me for the past two and a half years. Who told you that there was no way to find me?"

Hinata swallowed hard and said, "Lady Tsunade did, when Sakura and I first met with her."

"And you never asked her after that? You decided to just accept what she said as fact and let it go?"

"I…I don't know about Sakura, but I asked her two more times while she was still Hokage if there had been any news regarding your whereabouts. I received the same answer as before, and was told that you would be found when you wanted to be."

So Tsunade had never bothered to go looking for him. His anger towards her grew several levels as he said, "Then I'll be having a chat with Tsunade tomorrow. She'll be lucky not to end up in the room right next door after I'm done with her."

Naruto turned to Sakura and gave her a cold stare. "Okay, your turn to answer some questions for me."

"The answer is still the same as it was twenty minutes ago – tough shit. I'm not saying anything to you, and you're wasting your time asking me. You need to leave."

"Answer his questions, Sakura."

They all turned in the direction of the voice. Still reading the mission file, Sasuke stood up and walked over to stand next to Naruto.

Sakura looked at him and asked, "What did you just say to me?"

Sasuke closed the mission file and looked at her. "I told you to answer his questions – or else."

She snorted and said, "Or else what? You'll beat the answers out of me? Use your sharingan to torture me in your Tsukuyomi? There's no way you'd do that."

"I'm amazed that you'd think so little of me, Sakura. I would never stoop so low as to beat or torture you, however I would go so far as to find Ino Yamanaka and bring her here. I'm sure that after telling her what Naruto has found out in the last few days, she'll be more than happy to rip the information he wants to know from your head."

Sakura turned pale and said, "You…You would actually do that to me? Allow someone else to run rampant through my mind? I'm your wife, and I'm pregnant with your child!"

He placed his right hand on Naruto's shoulder and said, "I would do that for my friend, so that he can finally learn the truth about his son. And after reading the mission file, I'm interested in hearing your answers as well. It's your choice – we can do this the easy way or the hard way, but you **WILL** answer his questions. So what's it going to be?"

She stared hard at Sasuke for a few seconds before switching her gaze to Naruto. "Fine. I'll answer your questions. Happy?"

"I am for the moment. Your first question is the same one that I asked Hinata. I've been back in the village for five months, and at any point during that time you could have told me I was Hikaru's father. Why didn't you?"

"Because it wasn't my responsibility, that's why."

He gave her a hard stare and said, "That's bullshit Sakura, and you know it. If anything, it was more of your responsibility to tell me than it was for Hinata."

"That's not the way I see it."

Naruto pressed his lips together and asked, "When did you find out that you were pregnant with Hikaru?"

"About two weeks after you left the village."

"What happened when you found out?"

Sakura sighed and said, "I went to Lady Tsunade and told her that I was pregnant – I didn't need to tell her who the father was, since we both already knew that it was you. When she asked me if I planned on keeping the baby, I told her no – and I requested a one year mission away from the village, so that I could give birth and no one would ever know I was pregnant. The baby would be given to an orphanage, more than likely one in Suna to hopefully be adopted by a family there."

Naruto thought about his own childhood, and the horrible time he spent in the orphanage in Konoha wondering if anyone would ever want to adopt him and make him part of a real family. His anger began to rise at Sakura and her superficial attitude regarding Hikaru, but he decided to keep it in check for a bit – at least until he heard the rest of her explanation.

He turned to look at Hinata. "How did you end up finding out about all this and ending up with Hikaru?"

She looked at Naruto and said, "Lady Tsunade summoned me to her office and told me what Sakura had planned. She knew how much I cared for you, and asked if I would be interested in raising the baby as if it were my own. Even though I knew what it would mean to my status within the clan and my reputation throughout the village, I didn't hesitate and accepted the offer immediately."

He raised his eyebrows and said, "So you decided to take care of Hikaru, knowing full well what the cost would be? You were sacrificing your life, Hinata! Your reputation, your very happiness! Why would you do such a thing?"

Hinata gave him a small smile. "Because he's your son, Naruto-kun. I remember you telling me what life was like growing up in the orphanage, and I…I couldn't let that happen again. The thought of having some part of you in my life – even if it wasn't you personally – was all I'd ever need. The shame of being labeled as an unwed mother was nothing compared to the joy of having Hikaru as my son."

Naruto stared at Hinata, his eyes wide in shock. She had done all that, just for the sake of him and his son? Even back then, was her love for him so strong that she didn't even hesitate to accept the burden of caring for Hikaru? She knew she would be treated like a pariah for conceiving a child out of wedlock, and yet…

Suddenly, something clicked in his mind. "Wait a minute, Hinata. Since Sakura was the one that gave birth to Hikaru, does that mean that…that…"

She knew what he was referring to. Her small smile grew a little bit and she said, "Yes, Naruto-kun. I was a virgin on our wedding night."

"But…But there was nothing! No blood at all! How…How is that even possible?"

"My hymen broke several years ago while I was on a mission. The only reason why it was painful for me that night was because I had been saving myself for you all that time. You were my first, as I'd always hoped you would be."

Stunned, Naruto stared at her in silence for a moment as he processed that bit of information. However, that lasted only a short while before his expression turned dark and he looked back at Sakura once again.

"Okay, second question. Was it your idea to keep the fact that Hikaru is my son a secret?"

Sakura nodded. "Actually, it was both mine and Lady Tsunade's but for different reasons. I didn't want anyone to ever know that I was pregnant, while Lady Tsunade didn't want anyone to know because she was afraid that if some of the villagers found out he was your son, they might harbor some hatred towards him and possibly hurt him. I agreed to let Hinata adopt Hikaru under two conditions – one, that under no circumstances would she ever reveal my name as his mother. And two, that the only person she could tell the truth about the identity of Hikaru's father to was you." Sakura shrugged and said, "I thought it was a safe bet that the information would stay hidden forever, since I never thought you would return to the village."

Naruto was already angry at Sakura, but after hearing this he was disgusted with her as well. After all these years, she still knew how to push his buttons and piss him off, and it galled him to see how little she actually cared.

"Okay, third question. Was your hate for me so strong that you were willing to give up our child to an orphanage, rather than do the responsible thing and raise him yourself?"

Sakura blinked a few times and said, "Naruto, I never hated you."

"That's not the way I remember it, Sakura." He looked at Hinata and then at Sasuke. "You know, I wonder if you ever told Sasuke about the last conversation we had before I left the village. I know I never told Hinata about it. Maybe it's about time the two of them knew exactly what you said to me."

**_***Flashback***_**

_"Naruto, why are we at the top of the Hokage Monument?"_

_"Because Sakura-chan, I wanted this moment to be special."_

_"Why special?"_

_"Well, I…I know things haven't been great between us lately, and I'm sorry if I did something to upset you. But I wanted to show you how much you mean to me, and I couldn't think of a more perfect way than this."_

_Dropping to one knee, Naruto pulled out a small box and opened it. Inside was a small diamond ring, surrounded by a halo of miniature rubies._

_"Sakura-chan, I love you with all my heart. Would you make me the happiest man in Konoha and agree to marry me?"_

_She didn't even hesitate to answer. "No."_

_Naruto froze in place, stunned that she would reject him so quickly. "No? You...You don't even want to think about it?"_

_"No, I don't. I'm not interested in marrying you, Naruto. Not now, not ever."_

_He snapped the box closed as tears filled his eyes. "But…But why, Sakura-chan? Don't you love me at all?"_

_"No I don't. You should know by now the name of the only person I love – and it's not you."_

_"I…I don't understand. Why did you agree to go out with me in the first place if you didn't love me?"_

_Sakura threw her hands up in the air in frustration. "Because I was lonely, Naruto. And you were my friend, and you had this huge crush on me, so I thought if we dated and you realized that there would never be anything between us, you'd break up with me and finally let go of this fantasy you have of us being together. But like the stupid baka that you are, the message isn't getting through that thick skull of yours!"_

_"M…Message? What message is that?"_

_She gave him a cold, hard stare. "There's only one person who can fill the void in my heart – only one person I will ever truly love, and that's Sasuke-kun. You need to understand that and move on with your life. I will never be yours, and if there was ever anything beyond friendship between the two of us I can assure you that as of this moment, that feeling is dead."_

**_***End Flashback***_**

Sasuke and Hinata were both staring at Sakura, shocked at what they just learned. Neither of them could believe that Sakura would say something so heartless to Naruto, no matter what the circumstances might be.

Naruto cocked an eyebrow and said, "I'm confused, Sakura - if that wasn't hate, then what was it? Pity? Spite? Or were you hoping to manipulate me into bringing Sasuke back to you once again? Because if I remember correctly, that's exactly what happened when I left the village."

Sakura wouldn't look at him, instead preferring to stare out of the window.

"Answer the question, Sakura. If you didn't hate me like you just said, then why were you willing to give up our child to an orphanage rather than raise him yourself?"

_Her head suddenly whipped around and she shouted at him, "Because I didn't want anything that would be a constant reminder of YOU!"_

Naruto stared at her and said, "Excuse me?"

"I said I didn't want anything that constantly reminded me of you. I wanted a clean break, no strings or attachments. When you left the village, for a few days afterwards I thought I could start over with my life. But then I learned I was pregnant, and everything came screeching to a halt. I didn't want a baby around day after day, reminding me of the mistake I made in dating you in the first place. So I decided to do the only logical thing I could, which was secretly give him to an orphanage in another village, where he could be adopted by some family and we could both have a fresh start."

Naruto shook his head. "I have to say Sakura, that wasn't the answer I was expecting. However, after hearing what you just said I'm glad you decided not to raise Hikaru. I don't think you're qualified in any sense of the word to be a mother to our son."

Sakura glared at him and said, "I really don't care what you think, Naruto. You'll never change the fact that I'm his mother, just as much as you're his father."

"No, you're not."

Everyone turned in the direction of the voice and saw Neji standing in the doorway. After a moment he stepped to the side to reveal Hikaru, his body shaking and his teeth clenched in anger as he stared at Sakura.

Sasuke didn't flinch. Naruto merely stood up from his seat. Hinata turned pale. And Sakura narrowed her eyes at him and said, "What did you just say to me?"

All eyes were on Hikaru as he slowly walked into the room with Neji trailing behind him. "I said, you're not my mother."

Hinata broke her gaze away from her son and looked at Neji. "Nii-san! How…How long were you outside the door? How much did you hear?"

"We heard pretty much everything. We've been outside the door since Naruto asked you the first question."

Sakura looked at Hikaru and said, "Well, if you've been out there for that long then you know I'm your mother. I'm the one who gave birth to you."

"Just because you gave birth to me, doesn't make you my mother." Hikaru pointed at her and asked, "Do you even know what a mother is?"

Silence was the only thing that answered him back as Sakura stared at him.

"A mother is someone who's gentle and kind. She takes care of me when I'm sick and tucks me in bed at night. She does her best to teach me right from wrong."

With each successive statement, his voice rose a little bit.

"A mother is someone who would do anything to keep me safe. She holds me when I'm scared and tells me it's going to be all right. She's proud of me no matter what, and loves me even when I make a mistake."

Hikaru was practically shouting now, as he spat his final words at Sakura.

"A mother is someone who loves me unconditionally. She always thinks of me before she thinks of herself, and places my needs above her own. _And based on everything I just said, you're the furthest thing from a mother there is!"_

_Hikaru screamed at the top of his lungs, "I DON'T CARE WHO YOU THINK YOU ARE, YOU'RE NOT MY MOTHER AND YOU NEVER WILL BE!"_

The room was silent once again, broken only by the sound of Hikaru crying. He looked at Hinata and said, "You should have told me, mom. As far as I'm concerned, you never had a good reason to keep it secret. You should have found a way to let me know. You should have told me who my father was."

Hinata looked back at him; her lower lip quivering. He was right, and she knew it. She should have found a way to tell him a long time ago, but never did because of her irrational fears. She wanted to tell him how sorry she was, but she couldn't find the courage to speak the words.

Everyone seemed to be waiting for Hinata to respond, however before that happened a timid voice broke the silence…

"Dad?"

They all watched Hikaru slowly reach out and take Naruto's hand in his own. Tears stained his cheeks and a slight smile adorned his face as he tried out the word once again, finally able to say it to the man he'd wanted to see for so long.

"Dad?"

Naruto felt his heart swell with pride and joy at hearing Hikaru say the word to him. He gently squeezed the small hand he was holding and said, "Yes, son?"

Still crying, Hikaru sniffed a few times and asked, "Can…Can we go somewhere and train? Right now? Just the two of us?"

Naruto smiled back at him and said, "Sure. I know just the place."

As they turned to leave, Hinata finally found the courage to speak. "Naruto-kun, where…"

He cut her off and said, "Don't say anything, Hinata. Whatever it is, I'm not interested in hearing it at the moment. Hikaru and I will be home later on tonight, but right now I'd like to spend some quality time with my son."

He looked back down at Hikaru and said, "After all, I have eight years of missed time to make up for." And without another word, Naruto and Hikaru disappeared in a yellow flash of light.

Everyone continued to stare at the spot Naruto and Hikaru had just disappeared from. After a few moments, Neji spoke up and said, "Well, I should be going. Tenten is waiting for me at home, and after seeing that display I think I've been remiss in my duties as a husband. I should let my wife know how much she means to me, and how much I love her."

Neji looked at Hinata and said, "Out of respect for you and what was said here tonight, I'll remain silent about this until tomorrow morning. However, after that I will be telling everyone the truth – starting with Tenten, Hanabi and Uncle. Hopefully you'll have worked things out with Naruto and Hikaru by then."

Hinata watched him walk out of the room, tears spilling from her eyes as she thought about what had happened. The truth had finally come out, Naruto and Hikaru knew everything and she couldn't hide behind her excuses anymore. But she also realized that she shouldn't have hid behind them in the first place.

As the tears continued to fall, she looked at Sakura and softly said, "How…How could you say those things to him, Sakura? I mean, I know I should have told them the truth. I never should have listened to you in the first place and I should have told them the truth from the very beginning. But you hurt Naruto-kun far worse than I did. And now he's never going to speak to me again, and it's all because of you."

Sakura scoffed and said, "I wouldn't worry about it, Hinata. After a few days, Naruto will brush this off like he always does and everything will be fine."

"Are you really so dense as to believe he'll just brush this off, Sakura? He's still carrying around the pain and heartache from the last time you said something so horrible to him. You were the one who ripped his heart out without remorse, causing him to leave the village. You could have tempered your words but instead you decided to be cold-hearted and cruel to him, because you didn't care about what happened to him or his feelings. You abandoned his son, because you were only interested in your own freedom and happiness. And worst of all, you made me promise to be silent about Hikaru, dragging me into your twisted web of lies and deceit. And I fell for it!"

The tears were flowing freely as she continued. "If it hadn't been for the fact that you wouldn't let me adopt Hikaru in the first place, I never would've agreed to your selfish conditions! And because of that and my own cowardice, I've hurt Naruto-kun so badly that I don't know if he'll ever forgive me. _My husband and my son hate me, and it's all because I listened to you!"_ And she jumped up from her seat and ran out of the room sobbing uncontrollably, while Sasuke and Sakura stared at the door as it closed behind her.

After a moment, Sasuke glared at Sakura and said, "How could you do that to him, Sakura? How could you treat someone who's done so much for you that badly? How could you hurt him like that?"

Sakura looked at him and said, "I don't think you should be pointing fingers at anyone, Sasuke-kun. Out of everyone in the village, you're the one who's betrayed him the worst of all."

He frowned at her and said, "Yes, I've hurt and betrayed Naruto in the past and that's something I'll have to live with for the rest of my life. He's sacrificed more of himself than anyone else ever would have to bring me back to Konoha, but that's not what I'm talking about. I don't think you truly realize what he's done for us."

"We all know his list of accomplishments, Sasuke-kun. There's no need to go over them again."

"I'm not talking about that, Sakura. I'm talking about the story of what happened when Naruto came looking for me after the two of you broke up. I never told you because you never asked, but I think it's about time you knew what happened."

"I'm really not interested in hearing it."

"That's too bad, because I'm going to tell you anyway." He sat down in the seat that Naruto had vacated, crossing his arms in front of this chest and began to tell her the story.

"After Naruto left the village, it took him about two weeks to track me down. Once he found me, he said he wasn't there to fight me again and he only wanted to talk. I really wasn't interested in anything he had to say, so I told him to leave and never bother me again - but as usual, he ignored me and for another two weeks he followed me around, pleading his case to me about returning to Konoha – and to you. Without going into a great amount of detail, he only told me that the two of you had dated, and you both decided to break things off after realizing that I was the one you were meant to be with."

"When I mentioned to him that my status as a missing nin kept me from returning to Konoha, he said that the last thing he did before he left was to write a letter to each of the five Kage. He asked them all for a personal favor – that if I renounced my status as a missing nin and returned to the village, I would be given minimal prison time and then returned to active duty. And based on how great a debt everyone owed him, there was no way they could refuse his request."

"I asked him why he'd go to such great lengths to make sure I returned to Konoha – and to you. He told me that even though things didn't work out between the two of you, he still wanted you to be happy even if it wasn't with him. He also said that if his friendship with me ever meant anything at all, I'd honor his request and return to Konoha, so that the two of us could be together and hopefully rebuild my clan."

"When I finally agreed to his request, he wished me the best and hoped that you and I would be very happy together. When I asked him why he wasn't coming back with me, he said that with everything that had happened, he needed a vacation away from the village for a little while to clear his mind. He thanked me, we shook hands and then we both went our separate ways."

"After I came back, I learned that Tsunade and the other Kage made good on his request – I was given a six month prison sentence and then reinstated as a ninja of Konoha. You had already left for that year long mission, so when you returned I had served my time and you never bothered to ask me what had happened, since you were so happy that I was back. You know the events that unfolded between us after that."

"So if you think about it – our relationship, our marriage…" He pointed at her stomach. "…and that child you carry are a direct result of his efforts. And he didn't do it because of a sense of guilt or to repay any debt, he did it because he truly wanted you to be happy, despite the fact that you broke him in ways I can't even fathom. And frankly Sakura, if I had known back then what you'd done to him, I would have remained a missing nin and never returned to Konoha in the first place."

Sakura could only stare at him in disbelief. She'd thought Sasuke had come back to her all on his own, simply because he finally realized that he truly loved her. And now she found out that wasn't even close to being the truth – that Naruto had been the one to convince him that they should be together, and he had called in a huge favor to allow it to happen.

As Sasuke stood up and began to walk towards the door, Sakura broke from her train of thought and said, "Where are you going?"

"I think I've had enough surprises for one night. I'm going to find the dobe, and apologize to him for everything, because he deserves it. I'm not sure what I'll do after that, but I'm positive I won't be coming back here."

Sakura narrowed her eyes at him and asked, "So that's it, then? After everything we've been through, you're just going to leave me after learning the truth?"

Sasuke opened the door and gave her a cold, hard stare as he said, "No, Sakura – I'm not like you. No matter what, I won't abandon our child." And with that, he walked out of the room, letting it close behind him.

Left alone in her room, Sakura turned her head to once again to stare out the window.

"Where did I go wrong in all of this? Am I really that much to blame? How could I have possibly screwed things up so badly?"

But there was no one left to answer her questions. The only thing that answered her back was the steady beep of the fetal heart monitor, as it continued to keep an eye on the health of her baby.

* * *

About a half an hour later, Sasuke found Naruto and Hikaru at training ground twenty-six, engaging in a light taijutsu sparring session. Well, light for Naruto – Hikaru was working up a sweat trying to hit him, while Naruto was effortlessly blocking everything Hikaru threw at him. Sasuke suddenly had a flashback to when they were in the academy together, when he would often get the best of Naruto during their sparring matches because of the advanced training he'd been given as a child.

He shook his head, amazed at how much things had changed over the years. Their places were reversed, but one thing still remained the same – that Naruto always cared more for his family and friends than himself, and he would defend them even at the cost of his own life.

As he landed in the clearing, the two of them stopped and turned in his direction. Naruto raised his eyebrows in surprise, not expecting anyone out here so far from the village – especially Sasuke.

"Hey, teme – long time no see. What brings you out here?"

"Hey, dobe. You left the hospital before I had a chance to say anything to you. Can you spare a few minutes to talk?"

"Umm, sure I guess. But I'm actually kinda confused – what else did you need to talk to me about?"

Sasuke seemed to squirm a bit under his gaze, clearly struggling with his thoughts. But after a few seconds he said, "I…I know you might find this hard to believe, but I wanted to apologize to you – and to Hikaru. For everything that's happened."

Naruto couldn't believe what he was hearing right now. In all the years he'd known Sasuke, he'd never known him to apologize to anyone – for anything. Slightly embarrassed, he rubbed the back of his neck and said, "It's okay, really. It was pretty obvious from the beginning that you had no idea what happened; none of us did. The blame for all of this lies with Sakura, Hinata and Tsunade."

Sasuke nodded. "That may be true, however largest part of the blame lies with Sakura. Even though it's only my opinion, I'm sure everyone else would agree with me that the way she treated you was far beyond unacceptable. While I won't speak for Sakura, I will say that I have no uncertainty regarding what you've done for me over the years. You've been my friend when no one else wanted to be, and you cared enough to put your reputation on the line to bring me back to Konoha. I never deserved anything you offered, and yet you did so without a second thought or asking for anything in return. And despite everything that's happened between us, I want you to know that your friendship and loyalty have always meant a great deal to me."

Then he surprised Naruto by bowing low and saying, "I'm very proud and humbled to call you my friend. And if you're willing to give me a chance, I…I would be honored to call you my brother."

Naruto was stunned speechless. Ever since they'd first been put together on Team Seven, Naruto had not only thought of Sasuke as his rival, but as the brother he'd never had. He had lots of friends, sure – and he cared for each one of them very much, in very different ways. But somehow, with Sasuke it was always different – he argued with him, fought both for and against him, and supported him when no one else would. And it was all because he felt a kinship with Sasuke that simply didn't exist with anyone else.

He'd always wanted a brother, and he knew that having one by blood was an impossible dream. However, having someone actually **_want_** to be his brother ranked a very close second.

Sasuke was **_choosing_** to have him as a brother. And he couldn't be happier about it.

Smiling, Naruto reached out and quickly pulled Sasuke into a hug. "Apology accepted, teme. And as far as calling me your brother, the honor is mine."

Sasuke became rigid as he gave Naruto a disapproving look and said, "You're hugging me, dobe. You know I hate that."

Laughing, Naruto smacked him on the back a few times before breaking the hug. "Right, sorry about that. I guess I just got caught up in the moment and forgot that you don't like human contact."

Sasuke actually cracked a small smile before his face became serious again. "Actually, I also was wondering if I could ask you a favor."

"Okay. What do you need?"

"I was wondering if I could spend the night at your house again. I just…don't want to go home or back to the hospital tonight."

He nodded in understanding. "No problem, teme. You know you're always welcome to stay with us whenever you need to. Hikaru and I won't be heading home for a few hours, but since you're here how about you stay and train with us?"

"Are you positive? You said that you wanted to spend some quality time with Hikaru, and I wouldn't want to be a third wheel."

"If you're that worried about it, why don't you just ask him yourself?"

Sasuke tilted his head as he thought about that. After a few seconds, he walked over to Hikaru and cleared his throat a few times.

"Hello, Hikaru. Just as I said to your father, I would like to apologize to you for everything that's happened. Would you accept my apology and allow me to train with the two of you for a bit?"

Hikaru stared at him for a moment before a mischievous grin broke out on his face. Crossing his arms in front of his chest he said, "Only if you let me call you Uncle Sasuke."

"Excuse me?"

"I said I'll accept your apology and let you train with us, but only if you let me call you Uncle Sasuke. Look, you just asked my dad to be your brother, right? So if my dad is your brother, then that makes you my uncle. And that's what I wanna call you. So how about it?"

Sasuke looked at Naruto and said, "Your son is very loud and outspoken. Is he always like this?"

Naruto nodded. "Most of the time, yes. I'm having a hard time breaking him of the habit."

_Just like somebody else I know,_ Sasuke thought. He sighed and said, "Okay, Hikaru – I accept your terms. You can call me Uncle Sasuke if you like."

"All right!" Hikaru grabbed his hand and said, "C'mon, Uncle Sasuke – it'll be you and me against my dad. We're gonna kick his butt!"

Naruto laughed. "Is that right? You think you have a snowball's chance against a fire jutsu of that happening?"

"Absolutely! Everyone in the village knows that Uncle Sasuke is really strong, and besides that – it's two against one! We've got the advantage of numbers!"

"Then I guess I'll have to even things up." Naruto crossed his fingers in front of him and said, "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" And one hundred shadow clones appeared behind him, ready for battle.

Hikaru smirked at him and said, "Oh, yeah? I can do that trick too, you know!" He crossed his fingers in front of him and said, "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" And ten shadow clones appeared behind him, with the same smirk on their face.

Naruto immediately gave him a disapproving look and said, "Hikaru! I specifically said not to make more than two shadow clones at a time until I gave you permission to do so. Would you care to explain why I see ten shadow clones right now?"

"It's because I ignored you and did it anyway, dad."

"Hikaru, there's a very good reason why I told you not to do that. Making too many shadow clones when you don't have the chakra capacity for it can be dangerous."

"But I'm not even breaking a sweat – I bet I could do even more if I tried! Wanna see?"

"No, I don't!"

Sasuke watched the two of them continue to argue and silently laughed to himself.

_Oh, yes. He's exactly like someone else I know._

* * *

As the three men approached the house, Naruto noticed that someone had erected an earth wall in front of the area destroyed by the Minions of Set when they had attacked earlier. More than likely it had been someone Kakashi had sent over to check on things, and Naruto made a mental note to thank him tomorrow for it.

As they walked through the front door, Sasuke looked at Naruto and said, "It's been a really rough day, so I'm going to take a shower and go to sleep. I'm assuming I'll use the same bedroom I always do?"

Naruto smiled and said, "Yeah, you know which one it is. And if you don't mind, do me a favor and stick around tomorrow morning. I need to talk with you about something important."

Sasuke nodded and walked up the stairs, leaving Naruto and Hikaru alone. It had truly been an exhausting day, not only mentally but physically as well – he'd forgotten how tiring a sparring session against Naruto could be. But now he started to wonder what was so important that Naruto needed him to stick around tomorrow morning to talk with him about it.

Naruto watched him go and then turned to look at Hikaru. "Okay, young man – you need to take a shower and go to bed as well."

Hikaru pouted and said, "Aww…Can't we stay up a little while longer and talk? The old lady told me about you, but I'd still like to ask you some things. There's a lot I still don't know."

Naruto smiled and said, "Under normal circumstances I'd be glad to. However, I'm pretty sure that your mom is waiting for me in the bedroom, and I think it's more important that I talk with her first."

Hikaru thought about that for a moment before nodding in agreement. "Okay, you're right. But can I say something before I go upstairs?"

"Sure, go ahead."

"Look, I know you're mad at my mom – and I'm still a little mad at her too. But when we were out at the training ground and I was watching you and Uncle Sasuke spar against each other, I had some time to think about it. Even though mom should have said something to us, I think the good stuff she did kinda makes up for a lot of things. I mean, she kept me from being in an orphanage, right? And she raised me and did all those things for me that I said in the hospital room. And then there was that thing about you being her first whatever-it-is."

He actually blushed like Hinata used to when Hikaru said this to him.

"So all I'm saying is that I know my mom loves you, and you love my mom. I'm pretty sure she feels bad enough about all this as it is, and we both want her to be happy, not sad. So maybe you should be a little understanding and go easy on her. That's what I'm going to do."

Naruto blinked a few times as he stared at Hikaru. That made two times in the last week Naruto had been given very good advice by an eight year old kid. With the exception of the Nara household, that had to be some kind of record.

"All right, I promise to be understanding when I talk to your mom. Now go upstairs, get in the shower and then go to bed."

"Okay. Oh, and one more thing…" In an instant Hikaru hugged him and said, "I just want you to know that I'm really happy that you're my dad."

Naruto hugged him back and said, "Thanks. And I'm really glad that you're my son. Now quit stalling and get upstairs."

Hikaru nodded and bolted up the stairs, thinking this was probably the happiest day of his life so far. Starting tomorrow, he was going to make sure his classmates knew his father was the Hero of the Leaf. He grinned wickedly when he thought about how jealous everyone was going to be.

Naruto stayed at the bottom of the stairs and waited until he heard running water coming from Hikaru's bathroom. Taking a deep breath, he turned and opened the door to the master bedroom, wondering what awaited him inside.

Almost immediately, the sound of uncontrollable sobbing assaulted his ears. The light in the sitting area was on, and it partially illuminated the rest of the main area. Hinata was lying on the bed facing away from him, curled up in the fetal position and clutching a pillow. She was so engrossed in her misery that she hadn't even heard him come into the room.

He silently closed the door and walked up to the bed. Even though he needed a shower like everyone else, he couldn't just walk by her without saying something because that would give the impression that he didn't care how she was feeling. He actually cared very much, and he hated seeing her like this.

He sat down on the bed and gently reached out his hand to touch her shoulder. She flinched and turned her head to look at him. Naruto noticed immediately that her eyes were red and swollen, and her cheeks were stained with tears, which told him that she'd been crying non-stop for hours. More than likely she had started when he left the hospital.

"Na…Naruto-kun?"

He gave her a small smile and said, "Hey, Hinata-hime. I'm home."

She stared at him for a moment, her lower lip quivering as tears continued to fall from her eyes. Suddenly, she threw her arms around his neck and buried her head in his shoulder, continuing to cry uncontrollably.

"Oh Naruto-kun, I'm…I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry for keeping it a secret and not telling you, but I…I was just so scared. I was so scared of losing you both, and I…I…"

Naruto hugged her tightly and comfortingly stroked her back. "I know, Hinata. I know you're sorry for what you did."

"Please don't hate me, Naruto-kun. I love you so much, and I…I don't know what I would do if you hated me. Please…Please don't…"

"I don't hate you, Hinata. I promise. I could never hate you."

She continued to cry into his shoulder, still feeling the pain and guilt of keeping the secret of Hikaru from him. After a few minutes, he released his hold on her and tried to stand up, but Hinata stopped him.

"Naruto-kun, where…where are you going?"

Slightly embarrassed, he sheepishly looked at her and said, "Well, I was going to take a shower. After training for the last few hours, I think I need one before coming to bed."

"_NO!"_ She shouted, locking her arms around his neck. "I mean, please don't go. Just…stay here with me for a little while."

"Hinata, I really think I should…"

She looked at him with pleading eyes and said, "Please don't leave me, Naruto-kun. Just stay with me for a little while. Please…"

Even though he really needed a shower, he could hear the desperation in her voice. Sighing, he leaned back on the bed and said, "Okay. I'll stay here with you for a little while."

Hinata clutched her arms around his chest and continued to cry into his shoulder, while Naruto held her tightly. It seemed that once again, Hikaru had been correct – Hinata was punishing herself far worse than Naruto had ever thought of doing. And Hikaru did make a good point when he said that Hinata had sacrificed quite a bit of her life, as well as her standing with the Hyūga clan just to adopt and raise him.

And then there was the fact that she had waited all these years for Naruto to be her first. He was completely blown away by that piece of information.

So if he really thought about it, between her clan and the village Hinata had been suffering for the past eight years. And like Hikaru said, maybe that was enough to even things out. Naruto also felt guilty that Hinata had been forced to assume such a heavy burden in order to take care of his son. It had taken an immense amount of courage to do so.

However, Sakura had never cared from the start about what would happen to Hinata, only that she remained free to live her own life without any responsibilities. She didn't have to worry about the stares of the villagers or the pointed fingers behind her back, and she didn't have to worry about being disinherited by her clan since she didn't belong to one.

_She never had to worry about the consequences of her actions, Naruto thought. But maybe it's about time she should._

* * *

A/N: So now everyone knows the reasons why things happened like they did. And I wanted to explain a few things to my readers about why (since that's what the chapter was all about) I moved the story in this direction:

I was given several ideas that I could have used to try and guide the story to where Hinata was the natural mother. The best idea was one where Sakura and Hinata were sent on a seduction/information gathering mission for a year to find out about the Mienai Segi, and Hinata ends up sleeping with Naruto by chance and finds out later on that she's pregnant with his child. The idea of Hinata having sex (even if she did end up with Naruto) to help out the village didn't sit well with me. And I won't even tell you guys about the worst option - let's just say it was rejected from the second I saw it.

Any way you look at it, I really wasn't crazy about any of the ideas and they didn't seem to fit with what I had originally planned in the first place, which was to let everyone know that Hinata was Hikaru's mother no matter how she ended up with him, and that Sakura had been very cold and selfish from the beginning. The point I was trying to make is that **_you don't have to be related by blood to be a family._**

Plus, there's going to be a minor plot element around adoption in my story. We already saw Tsunade adopt Naruto, Sasuke asked Naruto to be his brother, and Hinata adopted Hikaru. There's going to be at least one more adoption, or maybe two before long so just be prepared for it.

And I would like to give credit to mothers everywhere for what they do. It's a full-time job doing what you do every day of the year, and you should be celebrated for it. I appreciate everything my mother did for me growing up – and I pretty much listed them in the chapter. It isn't necessarily _who you are_, but rather **_what you do_** that makes you a mother (or a father, for that matter).

And in case everyone is wondering, the answer is yes – Naruto and Hinata **_WILL_** be having kids of their own, and it will happen soon. So please bear with me as the story fills out and moves forward. But I promise that it's going to happen. Believe it!

I also want to say that out of all the chapters I've done so far, this was probably my favorite (not necessarily most fun) to write. I really put a large amount of care and emotion into this thing, because I wanted my readers to really FEEL what I was trying to convey with the characters. Hopefully that came across, and everyone liked how it came out.

**_Credit where credit is due:_** Once again, I wanted to let everyone know that Arekusu is the OC of shock777 from DeviantArt. Full credit goes to her and you should check out her wonderful artwork if you get the chance.

**_Recommendation time!_** Okay, this one is long overdue but I want to give a huge recommendation to the story **Our Ninja Way** by **Just Retribution**. This is a great, heartwarming story that's heavy into the NaruHina with a bit of perverted fun thrown in. The best part is that it's centered around family, and what that means (which ties in nicely with my chapter). Naruto actually has extended family show up to help him train, Hinata faints quite a bit more than usual and for once, Hiashi isn't a complete asshole. Frankly, I'm addicted to reading it over and over again, so give it a look and if you like it, leave a review. I'm sure the author will appreciate it just like I do when people leave reviews for me.

Here's the link; just remove the spaces and you know what to replace the stars with:

www . fanfiction . *** / s / 7829534

So what's coming up? Well, in the next chapter we find out more about the Mienai Segi, Naruto has the big confrontation with Tsunade, people find out about Hikaru and what happened, and Naruto and Sasuke make a decision about something. What's that going to be? You'll need to stay tuned to find out!

So please do me that favor and leave the reviews – I wasn't kidding when I said they help me write. Hopefully we can break 610 reviews with this chapter, and I appreciate each and every one – whether you agree with what I'm doing or not. So keep it up let's see more of them!

That's all for now. Take care and stay safe.

Serious Sam


	16. Ch 15: Loose Ends

15\. Loose Ends

**_Excuse me while I whip this out…it's Chapter 15 for the holidays!_**

Wow…Chapter 15 is finally here and I want to thank everyone who stuck with my story after the last chapter. The path I took with my story was certainly difficult, and of course controversial but I stuck to my guns and the vision I had for it from the beginning. I'm glad that people could see and feel the emotions that I painstakingly put into the chapter and I appreciate every single review, even those who didn't like what they saw. Good or bad, they only help me be a better writer.

Also, I would like to thank fellow author **Titokhan** for helping me out, as well as my anonymous beta for his continued efforts and support. You guys are my lifeline and support network, and your work is very much appreciated.

I have to say that I was quite surprised at how many "wall of text" reviews I got for my last chapter, I don't think I've ever seen so many. And apparently, I brought out those strong emotions in many people because I received more reviews for the last chapter than I ever have. Hopefully I keep everyone coming back for more.

This chapter didn't flow like the others did, and that's why it took longer to write. I was frustrated beyond belief and then I hit a major case of writer's block that stopped me cold, but I think the end result was good. I put some more emotion into this chapter – not like the last one, though – but it's enough to answer some questions and clear things up for many of my readers.

Now, here's some thanks to several of my readers who decided to leave me reviews:

**Arcana37210:** Thank you for the review, and based on your suggestions I rewrote the part of this story between Tsunade and Naruto. You should notice there are a few parts of the Tsunade conversation that reference some issues you had. It was written with you in mind, and I hope you like it.

**Hana/jouchan/PsychoticSky:** I know you were upset that Naruto didn't thank Hinata for everything, but just because it wasn't in the chapter doesn't mean it's not going to happen. Read on and you'll see; I hope I did a good job for everyone.

**Hektols:** How public knowledge about Hikaru will be revealed is in this chapter. The last part was written for you. Reaction to it will be in the next chapter.

**Melody:** Yes, he will let go. This is an integral part of the story and is coming soon.

**Dance-puppet:** Hinata never knew the complete truth. If she did, she probably would have acted differently towards Sakura.

**Jayden-night:** Thanks for the recommendation. It's now on my list of favorite stories.

Now that we have that out of the way, here's this week's disclaimer. I'll be interested to see how many people know what movie this is without having to use Google to look it up.

**_Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto, and I want to let you know that I've been hurt in the past, emotionally speaking._**

**_Masashi Kishimoto – What happened?_**

**_Disclaimer – Well, it's the same old story. Boy finds girl, boy loses girl, girl finds boy, boy forgets girl, boy remembers girl, girl dies in a tragic blimp accident over the Orange Bowl on New Year's Day._**

**_Masashi Kishimoto – Goodyear?_**

**_Disclaimer – No, the worst. (+1 if you get the reference)._**

* * *

Chapter 15 – Loose Ends

It was six o'clock in the morning in Konoha, and dawn would break over the horizon within thirty minutes. At this time of day, the streets were still quiet and normal people are still in bed sleeping.

However, Naruto was anything but normal.

For a little over nine years as a child, he was both hated and hunted because of his tenant. During that time, he had become so good at hiding from the villagers that he was even able to evade the ANBU more often than not. Couple that with the horrible things he'd seen during his time with the Mienai Segi and the nightmares that he suffered from, and the result was that Naruto was a very light sleeper. And when he did get some sleep, it usually didn't last very long.

Things had changed greatly for him in the past few months. The villagers who had once shunned him now treated him with kindness and respect, and marrying Hinata had banished most of his nightmares. But even with the positive things that had happened, constantly being on edge and aware of his surroundings as well as being afraid of his recurring nightmares was a hard habit to break, which is why despite receiving less than four hours of sleep, Naruto found himself waking up before the sun rose.

He opened his eyes and blinked a few times, trying to clear the fog from his head. He briefly looked around the room before his gaze settled upon the indigo-haired woman lying next to him. As he stared at her, his thoughts turned to the events of the previous night. Despite his repeated attempts to talk with Hinata and soothe her fears, she had continued to cry until sometime around 2 o'clock in the morning, when her body had fallen asleep from sheer exhaustion. She was still in the same position, snuggled up against his side with her hand clutching his nightshirt, while one of her legs was draped across his hips. It was obvious that even in her dreams, she was afraid that he was going to leave and refused to let him go. An irrational and unfounded fear, but one she still believed to be very real nonetheless.

He gently brushed the hair away from her face, noticing that her eyes were still swollen. No matter how you looked at it, yesterday had been a very busy day for the two of them. He'd gotten answers to most of his questions, and the only ones left were those he still needed to ask Tsunade. And he was fairly certain that her answers were going to be just as pathetic as those Sakura had given him.

While he'd been angry at the beginning about everything that had happened, Hikaru had once again put things into perspective, reminding him that Hinata had done quite a bit for him in the last eight years – not to mention the suffering she'd endured from the villagers and her clan. And she'd done it all because of her undying love for him and for the sake of his son – **_THEIR_** son, he reminded himself. Hikaru was right – Hinata was his mother in every way that counts, and that's all that mattered.

Naruto knew how lucky he was to have someone like Hinata, someone who loved him so much that she would sacrifice almost everything she had to take care of Hikaru. And he loved her very much as well – it was hard to describe how great that love was, and it only grew deeper with each passing day. He didn't even want to think about what his life would be like without her or Hikaru in it.

But somehow, Hinata still believed that the happiness he'd given her could disappear in an instant. He decided that it was time to put her fears to rest and show her not only how much he appreciated everything she'd done, but how much she truly meant to him.

But first, he had to get out of bed. And from the look on her face and her posture, Hinata wasn't letting him go anywhere.

He briefly tried to squirm out of her grip, but she only groaned in her sleep and held onto him tighter. Rolling his eyes, he wondered if he was going to get out of his current predicament sometime before Hinata woke up. He thought for a bit and suddenly, he came up with an idea that just might work.

He created a shadow clone, and had him walk around to the other side of the bed. The clone placed his hand on Hinata's shoulder and lovingly kissed her forehead, then quickly lay down next to her and remained still.

Sensing his touch and feeling the warmth of his kiss, Hinata let go of Naruto and rolled over to clutch the shadow clone close to her, mumbling in her sleep as she did so. After a few seconds, Naruto stood up and nodded to the clone, basically letting him know that he would be staying with Hinata until she woke up. The clone gave him a thumbs-up with his free hand, after which Naruto silently gathered a change of clothes and slipped out of the room.

As he closed the door tightly behind him, he heard a noise coming from the kitchen. He walked over and looked inside, only to see Sasuke sitting at the kitchen table, leisurely drinking a cup of coffee. Apparently, Sasuke was an early riser just like he was, and had made a pot of coffee for them to drink while they talked.

Naruto threw his clothes down on the counter and poured himself a cup, before sitting down at the table across from his new brother. "Morning, teme."

"Morning, dobe. Those are some pretty heavy bags you have underneath your eyes. I'm guessing it was a rough night."

Naruto nodded and said, "Yeah, it was. Hinata cried herself to sleep sometime around 2 in the morning, and I fell asleep right after that. What about you?"

Sasuke shook his head. "I didn't really sleep either – maybe three hours' worth. There's too many unanswered questions running through my mind."

"You and me both." As Naruto took a sip of his coffee, his eyes went wide and he started coughing. "GACK! Holy shit! How strong did you make this?"

"Quit complaining. It'll wake you up, and that's the most important thing."

"Are you kidding me? You could use this instead of Edo Tensei to raise the dead!" He quickly added some cream and about fifteen scoops of sugar to his cup, hoping to take the edge off.

Sasuke watched him in disgust and then asked, "Well, now that you've ruined a perfectly good cup of coffee, do you mind telling me what you needed to talk to me about that was so important?"

Naruto sipped his coffee, and a look of sheer bliss came over his face. "Ahh, that's much better. Now, to answer your question – I've been thinking about the fight I had with Anubis. I'm sure you've guessed by now that I used to work with him, right?"

Sasuke nodded. "Yeah, it was pretty obvious right from the start. The information Shikamaru got from you yesterday was far too detailed to think otherwise."

"Well, the thing I'm wondering about is something Anubis said several times during the fight. He said he's no longer…"

Sasuke looked at Naruto, wondering why he'd suddenly stopped talking. "No longer what?"

Naruto held up his hand, telling Sasuke to wait a bit. He closed his eyes for a moment and became very still, and Sasuke saw the area around his eyes turn reddish-orange. He opened his eyes and looked around for a few seconds, before nodding to himself and releasing sage mode.

He pointed to his ear and then held up three fingers, letting Sasuke know that there were three people listening in on this conversation right now. He walked over to the counter and scribbled something on a piece of paper, then handed the note to Sasuke.

_'Too many sets of ears listening. Above S-rank information. Meet with Kakashi-sensei at Hokage Tower at ten o'clock. Will discuss then.'_

Naruto said, "I'm going out to get some breakfast. Tsunade should be at the hospital by the time I'm done, and I still have some questions she needs to answer. If you want to, you're more than welcome to stay here for a little while and then I'll meet up with you later."

Sasuke nodded, and then burned the note with a quick fire jutsu. Whatever Naruto wanted to talk with him about, it was apparently so secretive that only Kakashi-sensei could be trusted. A small smile appeared on his face as he thought about all the possible dangers that could be involved.

Things had become far too boring since he'd married Sakura five years ago. He truly missed this part of his life, and maybe this would be an opportunity to see some REAL action for a change.

* * *

As dawn broke over Konoha, another couple began to stir from their slumber. However unlike Naruto and Hinata, this couple both wore looks of satisfaction on their faces, as they awoke from a night of romance and passion.

Neji slowly opened his eyes and looked at his lovely wife Tenten. She was cuddled up against him, her arm draped across his chest in order to hold him close. Her long hair, undone from the signature buns she always wore, obscured part of her face and flowed across her shapely torso, discreetly hiding her breasts. As his eyes followed every nuance of her face and every curve of her figure, Neji couldn't help but smile. Kami had blessed him with a wonderful woman who loved him for his faults as well as his virtues, and he thanked her once again for bringing Tenten into his life.

He lovingly brushed the hair away from her face and gently kissed her forehead. Tenten stirred at his touch, before wearily opening her eyes to look at her husband.

She returned his smile and said, "Good morning, Neji-kun."

"Good morning, Ten-chan. May I ask how my beautiful wife is doing this morning?"

The smile on her face deepened as Tenten snuggled further into his side. "I'm tired – and very content."

"That's good. I'd hate to think my efforts last night weren't appreciated, and had gone to waste."

"Trust me, Neji-kun – they were **_definitely_** appreciated." Her finger caressed his chest, idly tracing circular patterns. "What got into you all of a sudden yesterday? You haven't been that romantic in years – not that I'm complaining, of course."

He raised one eyebrow and said, "Well, in all honesty it was several things Naruto and Hikaru said last night at the hospital. It made me realize that over the last few years, I haven't been as attentive to you as I should have been. I'm sorry about that, and I'll try to be a better husband going forward."

Tenten stopped caressing his chest and turned her head to look at him. "Well, I don't know what those two said, but it must have been something very special to make you want to apologize to me."

"Actually, they were some of the most emotionally moving things I've ever heard – with the exception of our wedding vows, of course."

Tenten gave Neji a quick kiss and said, "Thank you for saying that, Neji-kun. But now that I think about it, you never told me what actually happened while you were there. You only said that you ran into Naruto at the hospital, and you left Hikaru with him before coming straight home."

Neji nodded. "That's correct, and there's a reason why I didn't provide any details. Hikaru and I happened to overhear a very…well, let's say interesting conversation involving Hinata last night."

Suddenly, Tenten was hovering over him with a dangerous glint in her eyes. "Is that right? You were privy to some juicy gossip involving my friend and relative while you were at the hospital, and didn't tell me as soon as you got home?"

Neji gulped nervously and said, "Umm, that's correct. But I have a good reason for doing so."

"What excuse could you possibly have for keeping something like that from your wife?"

"I love you, Tenten."

"I love you too, Neji-kun. But you're evading the question."

Neji sighed and said, "Because I promised Hinata I would wait until today. The information is extremely sensitive, and it needs to be shared not only with you, but with Hanabi and Uncle as well. Even though you're my wife and I love you more than anything, it's important that everyone hear what I have to say at the same time – I can't play favorites with this. So the sooner we gather everyone, the sooner I can tell you what it is."

Tenten continued to stare at him as she thought it over. After several seconds she said, "Okay, we'll do this your way – for now. I'll take a shower first and get dressed, and then I'll go get Hanabi and bring her here. After you're done using the shower, we'll all meet in Hiashi's office so that you can tell everyone what this is about. But just so you know, Neji Hyūga – if this information isn't as important as you say it is, you're going to be taking cold showers for the next month."

And with that, Tenten got out of bed and walked towards bathroom, swaying her hips seductively as she did so. Once there, she looked over her shoulder and gave Neji a smoldering look, before slowly closing the door behind her.

Neji began to sweat as he watched his wife walk into the bathroom. He knew she was purposely teasing him, but right now the view was so good that he didn't care in the slightest. After the door closed, he slumped back onto the bed and said, "Without a doubt, that woman is going to be the death of me. But Kami – what a way to go!"

* * *

At eight o'clock, Naruto walked through the front door of the hospital with one thought on his mind – that it was time to get some answers from Tsunade regarding the secret surrounding Hikaru. As he walked down the hall, anyone who saw him immediately gave him a wide berth, knowing what his destination must be – and judging by the look on his face, the visit wasn't going to be a pleasant one.

When he reached her office, Naruto knocked on the door and opened it without waiting for an invitation to enter. Tsunade and Shizune were both there, apparently going over some patient reports dealing with injuries from last night's battle.

He closed the door and said, "Good morning, Tsunade. Did Shizune nee-chan tell you that I would be stopping by today?"

Tsunade narrowed her eyes at him. "Good morning to you too, gaki. And yes, she did tell me you'd be stopping by. But is there a reason why you're not calling me Baa-chan?"

He gave her a hard stare and said, "Don't make the same mistake that everyone else has and think I'm still a naive idiot. Kakashi-sensei told me yesterday that he read the mission file you purposely redacted, and I'm guessing that you already knew that, as well as where I've been for the last week. It's time for you to give me some answers."

Tsunade pressed her lips together. Being one of the legendary Sannin – as well as a former Hokage – she didn't like being ordered around by anyone. As a matter of fact, she hated it – which made Naruto and his attitude that much tougher to deal with.

"Fine, gaki – I'll answer your questions as best as I can." She turned to Shizune and said, "Could you give us some privacy, please?"

Naruto raised his hand and said, "No. She stays in the office."

Tsunade raised her eyebrows and asked, "Excuse me?"

"I said Shizune nee-chan stays in the office for the duration of the conversation. She's either going to hear what you have to say about the mission right now, or I'm going to tell her later so there's no reason for her to leave. And frankly, I'd like someone else to hear whatever pitiful explanation you're going to give me about why you decided to keep this a secret all these years."

Tsunade glared at him and said, "I really don't like your attitude, Naruto. You need to show me some respect."

"I really don't give a shit about what you like or don't like right now, Tsunade. And you're in no position to argue about respect, since you apparently haven't given me any."

Rising from her seat, Tsunade swung a chakra enhanced fist at his head while saying, "Well, maybe you'll give me some respect after I knock you into next week!"

She was fully expecting to knock Naruto through the back wall of her office, but quicker than she could follow he caught her fist in mid-swing and stopped it, and as their hands met it made a sound like a firecracker going off.

The shock on her face was clearly evident as she asked, "What did you just do? How were you able to stop my fist like that?"

Naruto smirked and said, "Chakra disruption pulse. It's a little something that I developed while I was gone, where I create an opposing pulse of chakra that basically cancels yours out. Since I don't have the pinpoint control that either you or Sakura have, the size of it has to be rather large in order to counter your technique. I still need some practice, but more often than not I can make it work."

He shoved her fist away from him and said, "Are you surprised, Tsunade? You shouldn't be – after all, you're the one who taught Sakura that technique when we were younger. You didn't think I'd be gone all this time and not develop a way to counter Sakura's main weapon of abuse against me, did you?"

Tsunade sat back down. "You know I didn't teach her that technique so that she could physically abuse you, Naruto."

His anger finally boiled over and he shouted, "And yet that's exactly what happened! So you know that that says to me? It says that you did a half-ass job as a sensei, because in addition to teaching her that, you also should have taught her some restraint and some fucking self-control!"

Tsunade winced as she heard the words come out of his mouth. He was right; she had been so focused on teaching Sakura the physical aspects of her technique that she had neglected the mental training that went along with it.

Realizing that things were getting out of hand, Naruto took a deep breath and sat down. "Look, we're getting off the subject of why I came here in the first place. I want answers to my questions and you're going to give them to me. So let's start with an easy one – I want to know why you couldn't tell me that I'm Hikaru's father."

Shizune's eyes went wide and she asked, "Did…Did I just hear you right, Naruto-kun? Did you just say that you're Hikaru's father?"

He smiled ruefully and said, "That's correct, Shizune nee-chan. And you know what the best part is?" He pointed at Tsunade. "She's known about it the whole time and never bothered to tell me!"

Shizune turned pale. "Lady Tsunade? Is this true?"

Tsunade pinched the bridge of her nose and said, "It's not that I didn't want to tell him, Shizune. It's that I couldn't tell him."

Naruto crossed his arms in front of his chest and said, "Explain."

She took a deep breath and let it out. "About two weeks after you left the village, Sakura came into my office crying. At first, I thought it was because she finally realized how much you meant to her and she wanted you back, but that statement couldn't have been further from the truth. Instead, she told me that she was pregnant – I didn't bother to ask her who the father was, because we both knew it was you."

"After hearing this, I asked what her plan was regarding the baby and she told me that one way or another, she wouldn't be keeping it." She looked sideways at Naruto and continued, "You can imagine all of the possible scenarios that ran through my mind when I heard those words. Despite my position and authority as Hokage, there was no way I could order Sakura to keep the baby. And even though I thought it would have been a good idea, I couldn't justify having the ANBU keep constant watch over her to make sure she didn't do something stupid."

"However, she asked for a one year mission away from the village, so that she could give birth and put the baby up for adoption in another village, laying my fears to rest. When I asked her why she would go to such great lengths to make sure no one knew she was pregnant, she basically told me that she never wanted anyone to know about the mistake she'd made. She wanted a clean break after it was all over to move on with her life and find happiness."

"It was then that I came up with the idea of having Hinata adopt the baby. At first Sakura resisted, because she wanted the baby as far away from the village as possible, but she finally agreed to it under the promise of complete secrecy. The conditions were that no one could ever know Sakura was the mother, and that Hinata could reveal to you – and only you – that Hikaru was your son."

"I sent for Hinata right after that and explained the situation to her, as well as what Sakura and I were offering. She didn't even flinch or hesitate for one second, and accepted the opportunity to care for the baby as if it were her own, knowing full well what it would mean to her status in the village and within her clan." She stopped for moment and smiled at Naruto. "You have no idea how wonderful a woman you married, gaki."

"Believe me, I know. But almost everything you just said is what Sakura and Hinata told me last night while I was here at the hospital."

She raised an eyebrow and said, "How much did they tell you?"

"Quite a bit, actually. I have to say that I was pretty shocked at the lengths Sakura went through to keep this information secret, but in the end I think things worked out for the best. Hinata is a far better mother to Hikaru than Sakura ever could have been. But all this is beside the point – there's only a couple of questions they couldn't answer for me, and one of them was why you didn't tell me the truth in the first place."

Tsunade sighed. "When Sakura told me that she wasn't going to keep the baby no matter what, my first thought was to protect it at all costs. After I convinced her to allow Hinata to adopt it, I realized that even though you'd done so much for this village – and the elemental nations – there might still be people out there looking for revenge. And if they couldn't find you, they would go after the next most likely target – which would be your child."

Naruto held his hand up and said, "Wait a minute. If you were that worried about his safety, then why not tell everyone that I was his father and have the ANBU watch over him like when I was a kid?"

"For the same reason I couldn't have them watch over Sakura every night and day, Naruto. It would have been a misuse of village resources. You were a special case because you're a jinchuuriki and required round the clock protection, and everyone was worried about the possibility of Kurama breaking free and destroying the village."

Naruto snorted and said, "Not that it mattered anyway. The ANBU did a shitty job of protecting me back then."

"That's something we can both agree on. But getting back to your question, keeping the true identity of your child a secret was my primary concern. So after the mission was complete, I used a blood seal to not only redact the information in the file, but swear me to secrecy regarding Hikaru as well. That way, unless Hinata told you the truth or Nadeshiko Village called the marker for payment, the identity of your son would remain safe and he wouldn't be a possible target for retribution by someone."

He glared at her and said, "And what reason do you have for not sending someone to find me?"

"Naruto, everyone close to you knew the reason why you left the village. While we still don't know exactly what Sakura said to you, it was obviously devastating and emotionally painful. You wanted to be as far away from here as you could, and the only clue as to where you went was the letter you left, asking me to give Sasuke a light sentence if he ever returned to Konoha. I have to say that it was a smart move on your part to send a copy of that letter to each one of the Kage as well, cashing in several personal favors in order to make sure I wouldn't throw him in prison for life for all the crimes he committed."

"I sent a squad out to find you for a couple of weeks after you left, however you did an excellent job at covering your tracks. It was obvious to everyone that you didn't want to be found, and I felt that I should respect your wish to be left alone and give you time for your heart to heal. Plus, I couldn't spare the resources of sending out an elite ANBU squad for several months to find you. There was no way I could justify allowing some of my best ninja to be out of the village for that long. So I reasoned to myself that allowing you to come to the decision all on your own to return was the best course of action to take. When you were ready to come back, I knew you would."

Naruto continued to stare at her for a moment, but when he finally spoke the tone of his voice was dangerously low. "So let me see if I've got this straight. You knew that Sakura was pregnant, and yet you didn't think this piece of information was important enough to spare sending just ONE person out of the village to track me down and let me know."

"Well, like I said earlier I couldn't tell you because…"

Faster than they thought possible, Naruto smashed his fist onto her desk, shattering it into several dozen pieces. Shizune and Tsunade both flinched and covered their faces to protect themselves from flying debris, and when they looked back they saw a barely contained look of rage on Naruto's face.

"Don't feed me any more of your bullshit, Tsunade! You just said that you sealed the mission file with your blood AFTER Sakura and Hinata got back. So up until the time they returned to the village, you could have sent someone to find me. And yet, you didn't – and all because you couldn't spare any of your precious village resources, and felt it was best to just leave me alone. Is that correct?"

She didn't answer him, telling Naruto without saying a word that he was right.

"Do you have any idea what happened when I left the village? After I found Sasuke and convinced him to return, I actively sought my death because of what Sakura said to me." He stared at her coldly and continued, "Do you understand what I'm saying? I was looking for a way to end my life because I couldn't bear the pain of what she did to me. I never found the release I was searching for, and instead my life became far worse. The things I've seen would be enough to drive any normal person insane. I still have nightmares about them; there are times I wake up in a cold sweat because I can't get the images out of my mind. And yet, you decided to keep the one thing that might have made a difference in my life a secret, just because it was easy and convenient for you to do so."

Shizune's eyes filled with tears and her hand covered her mouth in an effort to control her emotions. She couldn't believe what she'd just heard. What could Sakura have done to Naruto that would cause him such pain? What could she have said that drove him to find his death all those years ago? Apparently, it was so emotionally devastating that he hadn't wanted to live with it anymore, and the realization wrenched at her heart.

"Let me ask you a question, Tsunade. When did you decide that Sakura meant more to you than me?"

Her eyes went wide and she said, "Naruto, you know that's not true. You mean far more to me than Sakura does."

"Really? You just went on and on about 'unable to justify the expense' and 'misuse of village resources'. So answer me this – was sending Sakura and Hinata on that mission, along with the reciprocity agreement that was used for future payment a 'justified expense and authorized use of village resources' in your eyes? Because if the word 'yes' comes out of your mouth, then I'm going to call you a two-faced liar."

Once again, the only thing that answered him was silence as Tsunade stared at him.

"You reasoned that sending the two of them away from the village for an entire year wasn't a misuse of village resources, but you couldn't spare one person – JUST ONE FUCKING PERSON – to protect my son. Or leave the village to find me and let me know I was going to be a father."

"Look gaki, I told you already that nobody knew where…"

**_"SHUT THE FUCK UP!"_**

The two of them stared at Naruto, shocked that he would speak to Tsunade in such a manner.

"I'll say the same thing to you that I did to Hinata yesterday. When I returned to Konoha, I asked Kakashi-sensei how he knew where to find me. He said that after he became Hokage, one of the first things he did was to send someone to find out where I was. Whoever that person was found me after a few months, which means that he's known how to get in touch with me for the past two and a half years. And do you know why? Because he cared enough about me to bend the rules, which is obviously something you never did."

The look on her face turned sad as Tsunade heard his words. "Naruto, you know that…"

He cut her off with a gesture and said, "Stop right there, because I'm not interested in hearing anything else you have to say right now. Ever since I walked into your office and asked for an explanation, you've been going on and on about what you were **_expected_** to do as Hokage, instead of what you **_should_** have done. I've sacrificed a large part of my life for the sake of this village, and you know that I'm not the type of person who keeps track of what people owe me – but at the very least, I'm sure this village owed me the courtesy of finding me and letting me know the truth, as well as protecting my son. That's what **_should_** have been done."

Naruto stood up and said, "I'm going to leave before I get angry and do something I might regret. You have my thanks for convincing Sakura to let Hinata adopt Hikaru, but as far as the rest of it goes I'm disgusted with your efforts. Hopefully between now and the next time we see each other, you'll realize how much pain and suffering you've caused me and feel some remorse about it. Because after hearing what Sakura had to say last night, I can honestly say that she doesn't feel any remorse for what she did, and the only thing she cares about right now is herself." And he turned around and walked out of the room without uttering another word.

As he closed the door behind him, Tsunade rubbed her forehead and sighed. "Shizune, could you please have someone bring me a new desk?"

"No, I won't. You can get your own desk."

Tsunade looked at Shizune in surprise. "What did you just say?"

Shizune gave her a cold, hard stare. "I said you can get your own desk, Lady Tsunade. After hearing all of that, I have to agree with Naruto-kun. It's pretty obvious that other than making sure Hinata had the chance to adopt Hikaru, everything else you did was to make sure Sakura got what she wanted. She's the one you bent the rules for, not the person who's so precious to you that you decided to adopt him. Frankly, I'm having a hard time wrapping my mind around your twisted logic because no matter what, you should have thought of Naruto-kun first and Sakura second."

"That's not true, Shizune. Everything I did was to protect Hikaru, and give Naruto a chance to heal his heart. I wanted him to come back here when he felt he was ready."

"Except he wouldn't have, Lady Tsunade. Naruto-kun just said to us, _'I was actively looking for a way to end my life because I couldn't bear the pain of what Sakura did to me'_. Does that sound like a person who was planning on coming back here someday?"

Tsunade buried her head in her hands and said in a voice filled with remorse, "No, it doesn't. Not at all."

Shizune walked over to the door, fully intent on leaving the office. She turned around to look at her mentor and said, "When you left the village, you went on a binge of drinking and excessive gambling in order to escape the pain that you carried in your heart from Dan and Nawaki's death. I wonder, if either one of them had survived and were alive somewhere – would you have wanted to know, or would you prefer to have been kept in the dark? Do you think it would have changed things, or would you have continued to live your life of debauchery?"

"That's a low blow, Shizune. It's not the same thing, and you know it."

"It's exactly the same thing, Lady Tsunade. It's just a shame that you can't see it."

* * *

Around half past eight, Neji knocked on the door to Hiashi's office. He was sure everyone would be there; the look in Tenten's eyes practically guaranteed that she wasn't going to miss this conversation, no matter what.

"Enter, Neji."

As he opened the door, he saw Hiashi behind the desk, and sitting in front of him were Tenten, Hanabi and…Konohamaru. He looked at his wife and asked, "I told you that I only needed Hanabi to come here. Why did you bring Konohamaru as well?"

Tenten gave him a sly smile and said, "Well, Hanabi and Konohamaru ARE married, Neji-kun. And we both know that spouses shouldn't keep secrets from each other, right? So whether he hears what you have to say now or Hanabi tells him later, Konohamaru is going to find out."

Neji closed his eyes and sighed, rubbing his temples to relieve the stress. Her statement was somewhat ironic, considering what he was about to reveal dealt with a secret that Hinata had been keeping from Naruto. But he could certainly do without the guilt and hidden insinuations that she was directing his way.

Konohamaru added, "Besides Neji, I really wanted to be here. Tenten mentioned when she came to get Hanabi this morning that whatever you're going to tell us involves the boss, so I'd like to hear about it."

Neji knew that there was no way of winning this argument, since his wife had already made up her mind. Accepting the decision that apparently had been made for him, he opened his eyes and took a seat in front of the desk with everyone else.

"Okay, during the battle last night Shikamaru informed me through his communication link with Ino that Hinata was on her way to the hospital with Lee, as he required treatment for a wound he suffered. When I later told this to Hikaru, he asked me to take him to the hospital to see his mother and make sure she was okay, which I agreed to do."

Hiashi frowned. "I fail to see what any of this has to do with me, Neji. Hinata is married to Naruto, and both she and Hikaru are his responsibility now."

Neji smirked and said, "Trust me, Uncle – this may be the most important information you've heard in eight years."

He gathered himself and continued. "When we arrived, we asked several people if they knew where Hinata was, and they told us that she was visiting Sakura in her hospital room. Apparently, Sakura experienced some abdominal pain during the battle and Sasuke took her there to be checked out. We made our way to her room, and just as I was about to open the door Hikaru and I heard Naruto's voice come from inside the room."

Konohamaru asked, "The boss was there? Why? What did he say?"

Neji paused for dramatic effect. "Well, he was asking Hinata a question. He wanted to know why Hinata had decided to keep the fact that Hikaru is his son a secret all this time."

The silence that filled the room was so profound, that Neji thought if someone dropped a pin they could hear it hit the floor. The faces that stared back at him were stunned speechless at what he'd just said, as they realized the significance of his words.

After almost a minute, Tenten decided to break the silence. "Naruto is Hikaru's father? How…How is that even possible? And why wouldn't Hinata want Naruto to know about that?"

Hanabi narrowed her eyes and said, "This is just the tip of the iceberg. I'm guessing there's a lot more to this story, and you're not even close to being finished yet."

Neji sighed and said, "Hanabi, you have NO idea how right you are."

* * *

Around nine o'clock, Hinata finally began to stir from her sleep. Her body ached in several places and she was still a bit tired, but she knew that staying in bed and trying to go back to sleep wasn't going to solve anything; at best it would only postpone it.

Sleep had come at a very late hour last night, and she had woken up sporadically since then as the guilt at having kept the knowledge that Naruto was Hikaru's father a secret still tugged at her conscience. He never deserved the pain Sakura had given him, and she had only made it worse by not telling him the truth in the first place. Even though she would do her best to make it up to him, Hinata was certain that Naruto would neither forgive nor forget what she'd done, but she was going to try anyway.

Her eyes still a bit swollen from crying, she opened them slowly to see the bright blue eyes of her husband staring back at her, as her hand grasped his nightshirt tightly.

He smiled at her and said, "Good morning, Hinata-hime."

Somehow, the warmth of his gesture only served to strengthen her feelings of guilt that much more. She gave him a weak smile in return and said, "Good morning, Naruto-kun. How…How are you this morning?"

"Well, I'm fine. But if you're referring to the boss, he's still a little bit tired. He didn't get very much sleep."

Hinata raised her eyebrows and said, "The boss? Does that mean you're a clone?"

He blushed slightly and gave her a sheepish look. "Umm, yeah. He had a couple of places that he needed to go today, but he wanted me to stay here with you until you woke up. He was worried about you after last night."

"Oh." She had really hoped that Naruto would be here when she woke up, but at least he had left a clone to watch over her. And it made her feel a little bit better that he was worried about her. "Can you tell me where he is right now?"

"Sure. Right now he's talking with Tsunade, and then he has a meeting with Kakashi-sensei."

_He's talking with Tsunade._ A fresh round of tears welled up in her eyes as she thought about the discussion they were having.

The clone immediately regretted saying the words, knowing they brought up a tremendous amount of guilt and pain for Hinata. He quickly tried to calm her down by saying, "Hinata, I'm sorry – I didn't mean to make you upset. Everything will work out, I promise. And besides, the boss wanted me to ask if you'd be up for a little family outing this afternoon."

"He…He wants to spend some time with me?"

"Well, with both you and Hikaru. Are you interested?"

She wiped her eyes and said, "I'd like that very much. Tell Naruto-kun that I'll wait for him here."

"Sure." The clone gave her a concerned look. "Will you be okay if I leave you here by yourself?"

Hinata gave him a slight smile and said, "Yes, thank you. You can dispel and give him the message."

The clone smiled back and nodded, disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

Now that the clone was gone, Hinata realized that she couldn't stay in bed any longer. A nice, long hot shower would probably do her a world of good right now – but first, she wanted to check on Hikaru to see how he was doing. There had been quite a few things said last night, and she was concerned as to how her son was dealing with the news.

She walked up the stairs to his room, and noticed that a note had been pinned to the door, folded neatly in half. Hikaru had written one word on the front of the paper…**_Mom_**. Her eyes filled with tears once again, as she realized that with only a single word, her son had lifted her spirits. Her hand slightly shaking, she slowly reached up and removed the note from the door. She held it for a minute; her fingertips tracing the letters he had written before she opened it and began to read:

*:*

_Mom,_

_I was going to wake you up this morning, but Uncle Sasuke told me that you had a rough night and that I should just let you sleep. I wanted to let you know that I went out to train this morning – Dad showed me a couple of really cool techniques last night, and I wanted to work on them for a little bit. I'll be back by noon, I promise._

_Hikaru_

*:*

Hinata smiled and pressed the note against her chest. However that lasted all of three seconds, and then a confused look came over her face, and she scanned the note once again to make sure she had read it correctly.

To no one in particular she asked, "Since when does Hikaru refer to Sasuke as his uncle?"

* * *

Naruto walked into the Hokage's office, still aggravated and upset from his conversation with Tsunade. It had been almost an hour since he'd left the hospital, and his anger hadn't diminished one bit – probably because all he kept thinking about was her ridiculous line of reasoning to explain why she did everything in the first place.

Sasuke was already there, sitting in a chair waiting patiently for him to arrive. Naruto closed the door behind him, walked over to the couch and sat down in a frustrated heap.

Kakashi saw the look on his face and said, "Hello, Naruto. Sasuke told me you were planning on having a conversation with Tsunade this morning. I take it the answers you received weren't what you were expecting."

Naruto gave him a hard stare. "She basically said she couldn't tell me anything because she was bound to silence by the blood seal she placed on the mission file. When I forcefully reminded her that she didn't do that until AFTER Sakura and Hinata came back, and that she could have spent that entire year looking for me – she told me that she couldn't justify bending the rules and wasting village resources to do so. But she had no problem bending those same rules or using precious village resources to send them on a year-long mission to Nadeshiko Village under a reciprocity agreement for future payment."

Kakashi gave him a sympathetic look. "That pretty much coincides with what she told me a few days ago, although the part about her enacting the blood seal after Sakura and Hinata returned from the mission completely slipped past me. I'm sure she felt that she was acting in your best interest at the time, however in my opinion she failed miserably."

"You got that right." His expression softened quite a bit and he said, "Kakashi-sensei, I just want to say thanks again for everything. Thanks for bending the rules and sending someone to find out where I was. Thanks for convincing me to marry Hinata. And thanks for sending me on the mission and allowing me to learn the truth."

Kakashi eye smiled at him and said, "You're welcome, Naruto. Now, Sasuke said that you needed to talk about something important with us both. What would that be exactly?"

"We're going to talk about my past, and what Anubis said to me last night. Enact the privacy seals, please."

"Are you sure it's a good idea to discuss this with Sasuke here, Naruto? I mean, he told me that you specifically requested for him to be here, but this IS a rather sensitive subject for you – as well as being above S-rank information."

Naruto nodded. "I'm positive. What I'm about to say concerns him as well, and he needs to hear what I'm going to say because I'm going to need his help. Besides, I'm not about to keep something this important from my brother."

Kakashi's eye widened in surprise and he asked, "Your brother? What are you talking about?"

Naruto rubbed the back of his neck and said, "Well, after the conversation at the hospital last night, Sasuke found me and Hikaru at training ground twenty-six and asked if I would consider him as my brother. I accepted the offer, after which Hikaru demanded the right to be able to call him Uncle Sasuke."

"I have to say, that's something I wasn't expecting to hear." Kakashi looked at Sasuke and said, "Are you sure you've thought this through? As a member of Team Seven, you know what kind of trouble follows him around."

"Believe me, I haven't forgotten. However, I'm actually looking forward to it. Anything has to be more exciting than the life I've been leading these past few years married to Sakura."

They all laughed at the statement, which helped lighten the mood a bit. Kakashi finally put up the privacy seals and said, "Okay, everything is secure. You can begin whenever you want."

Naruto looked at Sasuke and asked, "Have you ever heard of the Mienai Segi?"

Sasuke raised his eyebrows, not expecting the question. "A little bit, yes. Mostly rumors and whispers, but nothing substantial. Why?"

He rolled up his sleeves, exposing his tattoos. "I was a member of the organization, as was Anubis and his little cult."

"Well from what I've heard about them, it's not a group to be taken lightly. They make the Akatsuki look like low level chūnin in comparison. How long were you a member, and why did you join in the first place?"

Naruto rolled his sleeves back down and said, "I found them about a month after I talked with you. As to why I joined in the first place, I was looking for a way to end my life because the pain had become too much to bear. You know the reason why."

Sasuke nodded. There was no reason to go over the conversation from last night.

"But that's not what puzzles me. Anubis told me during the fight that he no longer recognizes Saladin as his leader, and now follows someone else. And apparently, Anubis thinks whoever this other person might be is just as powerful as Saladin."

Kakashi interrupted him at this point. "I've been meaning to ask you about that, Naruto. Anubis mentioned the name Saladin several times, and he never referred to you by your real name – he called you Gabriel. Why is that?"

Naruto closed his eyes and sighed, leaning back on the couch. "Saladin is the leader of the Mienai Segi, and he's the strongest of us all. He founded the organization and knows more forbidden jutsu than anyone. He teaches the principles of strength and discipline that you saw tattooed on my arms, and doesn't believe in the use of violence unless the reasons are just or warranted."

"But why is he named Saladin? I'm sure that's not his real name."

"Once you are accepted into the Mienai Segi and you survive the initial training, you're given an alias the same as if you'd joined the ANBU. Your strengths and skills are matched to the name of someone with historical significance or a deity from the lands to the west of here, where as a member you are expected to travel regularly to learn about other cultures, as well as perform missions. Saladin was a great leader and military general in a place called Mesopotamia, and he only believed in the use of violence as a last resort. However, he was also a compassionate ruler, very unselfish and kind who earned the respect of everyone – including those he conquered. He even left most of his wealth to his subjects when he died."

"My name comes from a religion far to the west. Gabriel is what they refer to as an Archangel, one of three very powerful beings who could essentially be compared to demigods. He was known as the Messenger, someone who people turned to for guidance and strength, especially in their darkest hour." He blushed a bit and said, "I was given the name because of how powerful I am, and the fact that Saladin recognized I always cared about helping others more than myself."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow at him. "That explains a few things, but it still doesn't tell us why you called for this meeting. If you're that powerful within the Mienai Segi, why are you worried about this? If someone else shows up, I'm sure you can take care of him just like you did Anubis."

Naruto gave him a withering look and said, "Because even though I'm powerful, I'm not the MOST powerful. There's about twenty or so people that are members of the Mienai Segi; Saladin is at the top and I rank somewhere around number four. Anubis was a low level member; I'd put him somewhere around seventeenth at best."

"The bigger problem is that apparently, there's been a fracture within the organization. The Mienai Segi never accept a mission based solely on money; it's only if the cause is just or warranted and Saladin has to approve any request that's brought to us. And Anubis was here last night because someone hired him to attack this village, which is something Saladin would never have permitted since we'd done nothing to warrant such an attack."

Having been quiet this entire time, Sasuke finally decided to speak up. "So someone else is pulling the strings behind the scenes. And whoever that person is sent Anubis on the mission to attack Konoha for the sole purpose of delivering that message, knowing full well he'd be defeated."

Naruto nodded. "There's really no other explanation. And that means they specifically want me to deliver the message to Saladin, which begs the question – what's the real reason for the attack? There's got to be something more to this, but I'm not sure what that might be."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow and said, "This is all very interesting, dobe. But none of it explains why you wanted me at this meeting in the first place."

"Because knowing my luck, things are going to get worse before they get better. And right now, I could use all the help I could get. Would you be interested in joining the Mienai Segi?"

Kakashi stared at him in horror and exclaimed, "Naruto, are you insane? How could you possibly ask a question like that? You know there's no way I'm going to approve sending my two strongest ninja out of the village for a few years!"

Naruto waived his hand and said, "Calm down, Kakashi-sensei. We wouldn't be gone that long, honest. All I'm asking for is about two months, and then we'll be back."

"Why only two months?"

"Because despite how Sasuke and I feel about Sakura right now, the fact is that she's still carrying his child. He needs to be back here for the birth, and personally I don't want to be away from Hinata for very long. Two months is really pushing it."

"Then why go at all?"

"Because I need to deliver the message, and Saladin has to approve of Sasuke to admit him into our ranks. I'm sure we can pack a good amount of training into just two months if we bear down and focus. And besides, we can always go back for more training later." He turned to look at Sasuke and asked, "So teme – what do you say?"

Sasuke gave him a rare genuine smile. "Do you even need to ask? I'm in, of course."

Kakashi interrupted their discussion and said, "Slow down a minute, you two. Before you get comfortable with the idea of leaving the village for training with the Mienai Segi, I'll need one day to think this over. This is an awfully big decision you're asking me to make, and I'm not going to agree to it simply because you're convinced it's the best course of action."

Naruto shrugged and said, "That's fine. How about we meet back here tomorrow at noon, and you can give us your answer then. Besides, I need to find Hikaru and get home anyway. I promised Hinata that we'd have a little family get together this afternoon and I don't want to be late."

Kakashi lowered the privacy seals and said, "That works for me. Remember, your mission request is S-rank information so don't discuss it with anyone. Enjoy spending time with your family and I'll see you at noon tomorrow."

"Thanks. And by the way – I know there were three ANBU stationed around my home this morning. I realize they were there to protect my family because of what happened last night, but tell them not to listen in on my conversations anymore, because if I catch them doing it again I'll make sure each one of them spends a week in the hospital."

"Understood. I'll make sure they know."

Kakashi watched Naruto leave his office, and then looked back at Sasuke. "You couldn't be less obvious if you tried, Sasuke. What if I say no to this request and keep you both in the village instead?"

"I wouldn't recommend it, Kakashi-sensei. I think the both of us need this after our conversation with Sakura last night, and Naruto made a good point when he said that since this deals with him, things are bound to get worse before they get better. Besides, why would you want to stop things now just when they're getting interesting?"

* * *

Naruto found Hikaru at training ground twelve with a water balloon in his right hand. Apparently, he was trying to do the first stage of the Rasengan that Naruto had shown him last night.

As Naruto watched his son from the edge of the clearing, he saw the intense look of concentration on Hikaru's face and he wondered if he'd worn the exact same look when Jiraiya was teaching it to him. He hoped that Jirayia and his own father were looking down on him, proud of the fact that he was passing on their values and techniques to his son.

Well, most of the values anyway. Naruto didn't want his son turning out to be a super pervert like Ero-Sennin.

He jumped out from the edge of the clearing and landed about ten feet away from Hikaru, causing him to lose his focus and drop the water balloon, bursting as it hit the ground.

"C'mon, Dad! I was doing pretty good with that one! Why'd you have to mess me up like that?"

"Hikaru, distractions are going to happen on the battlefield. If you can't learn to block them out, you'll never become a ninja."

"You're so mean! I'm only eight years old, you know."

"You're also the son of the Hero of the Leaf. Don't you want to become stronger and protect those who are precious to you, just like I do?"

Hikaru opened his mouth to say something, but decided against it. Instead, he crossed his arms in front of his chest and said, "Fine, you win. So, are you out here looking for me? I left Mom a note telling her I was out training and I'd be home later."

Naruto smiled at him and said, "Actually yes, I was looking for you. I wanted to talk with you about your mother."

"Why? Did you guys argue last night after I went to bed? I thought you were going to be understanding when you talked to her."

"I tried talking with her several times last night, but she wouldn't stop crying long enough for me to get a word in. She feels very bad about not telling us the truth, and she's punishing herself because of it."

"So? What are you going to do about it?"

"It's not what **_I'm_** going to do about it." Naruto pointed at Hikaru. "It's what **_we're_** going to do about it. I was thinking that you, me and your mom could have a family picnic this afternoon in the park, and we could let your mother know how much we appreciate everything she did for us."

Hikaru smiled. "I'll bet Mom will really like that. Did you already get the food and supplies for the picnic?"

Naruto face palmed at hearing this. How could he have forgotten something like that? He quickly created a shadow clone who asked, "What do you need, boss?"

Naruto gave him some money and said, "I need you to buy a picnic basket and fill it with food. Then buy a blanket, find a nice spot underneath a tree at the park and set everything up. We'll meet you there at one o'clock. And remember, this is for Hinata so **_don't buy any ramen_** – understand?"

The clone saluted him and said, "Aye aye, captain! You can count on me!" The clone then ran off to complete his tasks.

Hikaru looked at his father and said, "Your clones are really weird."

Naruto rolled his eyes and said, "Tell me about it. No matter how hard I try, I just can't get them to act normal except in battle. I think it comes from having an unstable childhood."

Thinking of his conversation with Tsunade last week and all the stories she had told him, Hikaru mumbled under his breath, "Yeah – **_that's_** where it comes from."

"What was that?"

"Nothing." Hikaru looked at his father and said, "So what are we waiting for? I'll bet Mom is home right now feeling sad. Let's bring her to the park and cheer her up!"

Naruto held up his hand to stop him. "Wait just a moment, young man. I want to ask you something. On Monday, do you plan on letting your entire class at the academy know that I'm your father?"

"Well, sure Dad. Why wouldn't I?"

"Do you think they'll believe you?"

Hikaru thought about that for a moment. "Probably not. But I don't care – I'm gonna tell them anyway."

Naruto tousled his hair and said, "That's exactly what I'd expect my son to say. But what if I told you there was a way to get them to believe you?"

Hikaru's eyes lit up and he asked excitedly, "Really? You know how to do that?"

Naruto grinned from ear to ear and said, "Absolutely, but you need to use Iruka-sensei to do it. Now, when you walk into class on Monday morning, here's what I want you to do…"

* * *

Hinata heard the front door open and watched as Naruto and Hikaru walked into the house, laughing about something funny that one of them had said. It was nice to see them bonding like this, and she hoped that they would still have room in their hearts for her going forward, especially after what she'd done.

She gave them a hesitant smile and asked, "How are the two most important men in my life doing today?"

Hikaru said, "Really great, Mom! I got some practice in this morning, and Dad gave me some really good advice for when I go to school on Monday. It's gonna be awesome!"

Naruto looked at him and said, "Okay Hikaru, you need to wash up and change your clothes. We have to be at the park by one o'clock, and I don't want to be late."

Hikaru snapped to attention and saluted him. "Aye aye, captain! I'll be back in a flash!"

Naruto groaned as Hikaru ran up the stairs. Hinata looked at him and asked, "What was that all about?"

"Inside joke. You had to be there."

"Oh." She hesitated for a moment before she asked, "How…How did your conversation with Lady Tsunade go?"

His expression darkened and he said, "Not good. Her answers were almost as pathetic as the ones Sakura gave me last night, and after hearing what she had to say, I decided to leave before I got angry and did something stupid."

Hinata pressed her lips together and nodded, fighting back another round of tears. Naruto felt a fresh wave of guilt creep up his arm through the seal they shared, and he shuddered as it pierced his heart.

Knowing that he needed Hinata to stop before she started crying again, Naruto quickly pulled her into a hug and said, "Hinata, please don't cry. I know you're feeling guilty about what happened, but everything will be all right, I promise."

She buried her head in his chest and asked, "How? How will everything be all right again, Naruto-kun?"

He stroked her hair comfortingly and said, "Because I know it will, and I'm asking you to trust me on this. Now, I need you to calm down and dry your eyes, because I don't want Hikaru to see you crying. Let's just enjoy the afternoon together as a family, okay?"

She raised her head to look in his eyes, which had turned the brightest blue she had ever seen, and saw only honesty in his gaze. Nodding, she wiped the tears from her cheeks and smiled at him, just as Hikaru bounded down the stairs.

Naruto stepped in front of Hikaru, shielding Hinata from his eyes and giving her a moment to compose herself.

"Ready to go, Hikaru?"

Hikaru smiled and said, "You bet! C'mon, Dad – I'll race you there!"

"Hikaru, wait just a…" It was no use – by the time the words came out of his mouth, Hikaru was already out the front door, sprinting in the direction of the park.

Naruto sighed and turned to look at Hinata. "If I were anyone else, I'd ask where he gets all of his energy from. But I think we both already know the answer to that question."

Hinata giggled, lifting her spirits a little. "Yes, Naruto-kun. We certainly do."

* * *

By the time Naruto and Hinata arrived at the park, Hikaru was already sitting on the picnic blanket eating the lunch Naruto's clone had purchased. Despite his reservations, it appeared the clone had done a good job – there was Miso soup, several kinds of sushi rolls, Udon noodles with vegetables, as well as strips of barbeque beef and pork. And as a final thoughtful gesture, he had gotten some fresh cinnamon rolls for dessert.

As the three of them enjoyed their meal, Naruto continued to watch Hinata out of the corner of his eye. It was obvious to him that Hinata was hiding her pain with a false smile; having worn one most of his life it was fairly easy for him to spot. He could also feel her guilt continue to trickle through the seal, and it showed no signs of stopping anytime soon unless he did something about it.

Naruto put down his lunch and asked, "Hikaru, could you do me a favor and go play on the swings for a little bit?"

Upon hearing the words, Hikaru paused as the chopsticks were halfway to his mouth. He gave his father a questioning look, to which he saw Naruto glance sideways out of the corner of his eye at Hinata. Nodding, he put his lunch down and headed towards the swings, leaving them alone to talk.

Naruto watched him go, waiting until he was a safe distance away before reaching out to take the bowl and chopsticks from Hinata's hands and set them down on the blanket. He leaned his back up against the tree that they were sitting under, holding his arms open to her.

"Hinata, please come over here and sit with me for a little bit."

She hesitated for a brief moment, and then scooted over so that Naruto could wrap his arms around her. He could feel her body shivering with what he assumed was fear, since all he could still feel though the seal was guilt.

He stroked her back comfortingly and asked, "Hinata, do you remember the day we got married?"

She was expecting him to say several things, but not that. "Yes Naruto-kun, I remember. How could I forget something like that?"

He smiled at her remark. "Do you remember my wedding vows? What I said to you that day?"

She struggled to remember his words, but her mind was still foggy from lack of sleep. "I can't remember all of it, but you did say that you would protect and care for me and Hikaru always."

"Well, that's part of it, yes. But I also promised to hold you when you cry, care for you when you're sick and softly kiss you when you're hurting. I also recall that you promised to walk beside me through whatever our lives would bring, and that you'll never run away from me, or what we have. Do you remember now?"

As he said the words to her, the memories came rushing back. "Yes, I do. But…But why are you asking me this right now?"

"Because I know that right now you're hurting, Hinata. Even if I couldn't tell by the look on your face, I can feel it through the bond we share." He raised his hand to cup her cheek, lifting her face to meet his. "And you know I never break a promise."

Hinata was startled as Naruto leaned down and placed a gentle yet firm kiss upon her lips, sending shockwaves of pleasure throughout her body. After a moment she responded, melting against him as her blood quickened to a beat of passion that threatened to overwhelm her senses.

After a few seconds Naruto reluctantly broke the kiss and said, "I'm asking you to keep your promise to me as well, Hinata. You said that you'll never run away from me, or what we have but that's exactly what you're doing right now. You're retreating inside yourself because of what happened, and you need to get past this if you're going to begin healing. Ask me your questions. Have faith and trust in me, just as I do for you."

Hinata chewed her lower lip, thinking about what Naruto just said. He was absolutely right; the only way she was going to get past this was to face her fears head-on rather than run and hide from them, like she always did. That's how things had gotten so far out of control in the first place, and she never wanted that to happen again. She needed to have faith and trust in her husband.

She softly asked, "Nar…Naruto-kun, do you still love me?"

He chuckled and said, "That's a silly question, Hinata-hime. Of course I do. I love you more than anything."

Her spirit soared at hearing the words, and her eyes became moist as she hugged him in appreciation. After a minute, she sniffed a few times and asked, "What…What did Lady Tsunade say when you talked with her?"

He sighed and said, "Without getting into too many details, she told me that she never sent anyone to look for me after the first few weeks I was gone, the reason being that she couldn't justify the expense of sending someone out of the village for an extended period of time, and that it would have been a misuse of village resources. She thought it was best to leave me alone, and that I would come back to the village when I was ready to do so." He paused for a moment and smirked. "You should have seen the reaction on their faces when I told both her and Shizune nee-chan I was never planning on coming back to the village, and that I'd been looking for my death since the day I'd left. I became very angry with her because she decided to keep the one thing that would have saved me from years of nightmares and emotional pain a secret."

It was a very brief explanation, and Hinata could tell that talking about the conversation was only making him more upset. However, one item that stood out in particular was the fact that Shizune was there the entire time. Hinata decided to seek her out later in the week and find out exactly what was said, since Lady Tsunade more than likely didn't want to talk about it.

"Hinata, before we go any further there's something I'd like to say to you. Something very important. Could you look at me for a minute please?"

A pit formed in her stomach as she wondered what he was going to say. She watched as he moved around to sit in front of her and take her hands in his. He smiled at her and looked into her eyes, and what felt like a tidal wave of undying love washed over her through the seal, filling her heart with joy.

"Thank you."

Her eyes went wide in surprise. She was expecting to hear several things,but 'thank you' wasn't one of them. Still not believing what she'd just heard, she blinked a few times and then asked, "Did…Did you just thank me, Naruto-kun?"

He nodded while saying, "Yes Hinata, I did."

"I'm confused. What are you thanking me for?"

"For sacrificing everything to raise Hikaru, of course."

She told herself that this had to be a dream. She closed her eyes and shook her head a few times, thinking it would wake her up but when she opened her eyes, nothing had changed.

"I...I don't understand. Aren't you angry with me for keeping Hikaru a secret from you?"

"Well, I was at first – and honestly I still am a little bit – but when I got back home from training last night, Hikaru said some things to me that actually made a lot of sense." He snorted and said, "You know, for a kid who's supposed to be eight years old he's surprised me twice in the last week by saying something very thoughtful and mature. You've done a wonderful job raising our son."

"Our…Our son? But Naruto-kun, what…what about Sakura?"

"What about her?"

"Well, now you know the truth. She's his real…"

He interrupted her rather forcefully and said, **_"Hinata."_** His voice had the same commanding edge as it did yesterday. "I never want to hear you say those words again. As far as I'm concerned, I don't care what Sakura has to say or who she thinks she is. Hikaru made a very good point yesterday at the hospital – you're his mother in every way that matters, and that's what's important. Not only to me, but to Hikaru as well."

He waited for Hinata to smile, or laugh, or say how happy she was to hear his words. But instead, she broke away from his gaze and stared at the ground next to him, seemingly lost in her thoughts. He knew right away that she was having a hard time believing him, even though he'd been honest and sincere with what he'd said.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed in frustration, knowing what needed to happen in order to fix this. "Hikaru!" He called out. "Can you come over here please?"

"Okay, Dad!" He stopped playing on the swings and walked back over to the blanket. "What's up?"

Naruto motioned his head towards Hinata and asked, "Is there anything you'd like to say to your mother?"

Hikaru immediately understood what Naruto was trying to say. Nodding, he knelt down in front of her and said, "I don't want you to be sad anymore, Mom. I want you to be happy. And I want to say thank you for everything you did for me."

Hinata stared into his eyes. "Are…Are you sure you feel that way about me, Hikaru? After all, I'm not…"

Mirroring what Naruto had done only minutes earlier, Hikaru interrupted her and forcefully said, **_"Mom."_**

Hinata was taken aback. Hikaru had never spoken to her like this, with a hint of steel in his voice, and she was amazed at how much he sounded like his father right now.

"Did you already forget everything I said at the hospital last night? You're the one who saved me from being in an orphanage. For eight years you've taken good care of me. And even though it took a long time, you married my dad. And to me, that counts for a lot."

Hikaru smiled at her. "You're the one who did all those things for me that I mentioned, and that's what matters to me the most. No matter what the lady with the big forehead says, you're my mom and you always will be. I wouldn't want anyone else."

Hinata felt her lower lip begin to tremble, and her eyes quickly filled with tears. She stared at Hikaru for a moment before the tears started to fall down her cheeks, and then her hand slowly reached up to caress his face.

She sniffed a few times, and then said in a voice filled with emotion, "Thank…Thank you so much, Hikaru. You're the most precious gift I've ever received in my life, and I'm…I'm so happy that you're my son."

With a sense of intelligence that belied his years, Hikaru quickly assessed the situation and pulled his mother into hug. "You're welcome. And I'm really happy that you're my mom."

She hugged him tighter as she continued to cry into his shoulder. "I…I love you, Hikaru. I love you so very much."

Hikaru comfortingly rubbed her back and said, "I know, Mom. I love you too."

Naruto smiled inwardly to himself as he watched the exchange. Hinata was getting the release she needed; he was happy to see it and he knew that things would be better between everyone now that she finally had closure. Naruto returned to his position of sitting with his back against the tree, watching the clouds roll by just like Shikamaru, as he waited patiently for things between his wife and son to run their course.

* * *

Ino Yamanaka was bored. Once again, her parents had left her in charge of the flower shop for the afternoon to attend a council meeting, and to make matters worse business today had been agonizingly slow. Silently praying to Kami for what seemed like the fifteenth time in the last hour, she asked for something – anything – to walk through the door and save her from the boredom that lied ahead.

Just as she was about to give up hope Tenten rushed into the shop, shutting the door behind her and flipping over the sign to show "CLOSED". She looked to the left and right through the glass, like she was worried that someone might have followed her here.

"Tenten? Is something wrong? Why are you closing the flower shop?"

Ino heard the sound of the front door locking, and then Tenten slowly turned around. Her eyes were twinkling with suppressed mirth, and a grin was spread across her face from ear to ear. That look could only mean one of two things – either she was finally pregnant, or…

Ino returned the grin and said, "You have some juicy gossip to tell me. And judging by the look on your face and the fact that you closed the shop, I'd say it's something really BIG."

Tenten laughed as she walked up to the counter and said, "Ino, you might want to take a seat, because the word BIG doesn't even begin to describe what I'm about to tell you."

.

.

A/N: So as the title suggested, this chapter cleared up some loose ends. Things will advance a little faster with the next chapter, and hopefully it will be a little easier to write than this one. I agonized over this for days and lost quite a bit of sleep over it.

Originally, I was going to go with a much more brutal confrontation between Tsunade and Naruto – one where he takes her out to training ground twenty-six and they have an all-out brawl, culminating in Naruto knocking her out and putting her in the hospital. However, after the review by **Arcana37210**, I decided to go in a different direction and I rewrote it. I think it turned out better this way, because even though Tsunade screwed up she still does care for Naruto and she DID adopt him. And I'm positive she'll feel remorse and make amends for what she did because…well, because I'm the author and I know she'll do it.

We have now cleared up the issue of the Mienai Segi, and where the names come from. Hinata has been properly thanked for her efforts. Hikaru is going to tell his classmates what he found out. And if you can't tell that Ino is going to blab the secret to everyone in the village, well then you haven't been paying attention.

This was a very challenging chapter to write, and I wanted to put another big piece of emotion in this one although not on the same scale for a variety of reasons. As much as I like writing battle scenes with violence and blood, I also enjoy writing the mushy stuff. Maybe that sounds weird, but I think it's part of what defines a good writer. And there are quite a few good writers on this site that do this.

**_Poll Results!_** So I put up a poll a couple of chapters ago for a bit of fun. Not many people voted, but apparently Red Vines ARE better than Twizzlers. Although if I'm sneaking some into the movie theater, I'll take either one in a pinch.

**_Recommendation time!_** Okay, I've given quite a few recommendations for stories that are strongly NaruHina, but there are times I like to change things up. Why? Not because I'm anti NaruHina – far from it – but rather because I can always appreciate good writing when I see it. So if you have the time, check out **The Good Wife** by **ReiraKurenai**. It's a NaruIno story, but it takes a good twist on things with an alternate dimension theory. Be warned, there are some slightly off-kilter pairings but it's still a good read nonetheless. If you read it and like it, leave a review because I'm sure the author will appreciate it.

Here's the link; just remove the spaces and you know what to replace the stars with:

www . fanfiction . *** / s / 6678938

So what's coming up? Well, Naruto and Sasuke are leaving for two months to train. Things will happen while they're gone to quite a few people, and there will be some plot twists and developments for many of the characters in the story.

So please do me that favor and leave the reviews – everyone should notice that there were several parts of this story that I tailored based on the reviews that I received, so I'm not lying when I say that they help. Once again, thanks for helping me set a personal record for number of reviews for a chapter. Let's see if we can do that again!

That's all for now. Take care and stay safe.

Serious Sam


	17. Ch 16: Leaving

16\. Leaving

**_So let the raucous sleigh bells jingle, and hail our dear old friend Kris Kringle._**

**_He drives his reindeer 'cross the sky; don't stand beneath when they fly by! (Tom Lehrer – Song, 'A Christmas Carol')_**

Here's Chapter 16 for everyone's enjoyment during this festive holiday season. Hopefully, everyone likes what they read and then leave me great reviews! For those who don't know, reviews to a writer is like a hot fudge sundae in the summertime – absolutely wonderful! So if you like what you see, then please let me know by leaving a review! It's especially true during this month, which is the season for giving – or so I'm told by my family. I think it's just because they want stuff.

As always, I would like to thank fellow author **Titokhan** for helping me out, as well as my anonymous beta for his continued efforts and support. You guys help me out tremendously, and I can't thank you enough.

I want to give a few shout outs to some reviews that were left for me and do some foreshadowing:

**Chandu-Itachi/Firestorm92:** Okay, just to let you know I really wanted to use that jutsu – I mean, REALLY wanted to use it – but I couldn't bring myself to do it just yet. When Naruto gets back there's going to be a lemon scene and if Hinata is mad at him because of Hikaru using the Sexy Jutsu they won't 'get together', if you know what I mean. But believe me when I say that Hikaru WILL be using the Sexy Jutsu and you'll love what happens when he does!

**YamiChaos27:** Yes there will be trust issues, you'll start to see them develop in this chapter and you find out the reasons why. Hopefully you like the twist, because a lot of the future plot depends on it.

**Hektols:** You put a piece in your review for Chapter 14 asking about the reaction from other villages. There's a small part in here for you that will give you a hint of things to come.

**Len:** Won't be a lot of confrontation between those characters. But there will be conflict. I promise.

So there you go! And here we have this chapter's disclaimer. Shouldn't be too hard for people to guess this one, because without a doubt it's a Christmas classic.

**_Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto, and take a look! I won a "Major Prize!"_**

**_Masashi Kishimoto – Nice. Is that the prize, in this crate?_**

**_Disclaimer – It sure is! And see what it says on the front? "Frah-Gee-Lay". It must be Italian._**

**_Masashi Kishimoto – I think that says "fragile."_**

**_Disclaimer – Oh, yeah. (+1 if you get the reference.)_**

* * *

Chapter 16 – Leaving

The front door opened, and Sakura walked into her apartment with Sasuke holding her arm, supporting her. Even though the hospital had assured her that the baby was fine and was never in any danger, they had kept her overnight for observation. Sasuke had been there this morning when they released her, and had brought her straight home without saying a word.

Sakura was used to dealing with long periods of silence from her husband. He had certain 'tells' that gave away what he might be thinking about during those times, when he could be unemotional, melancholy, or sometimes cold. However, today was different. While he still didn't seem as outgoing or friendly as someone like Naruto or Ino, his emotions no longer seemed to be completely suppressed, and the look he wore on his face was one of sadness and disappointment.

Sasuke led Sakura over to the couch and helped her sit down. After watching his wife adjust her body to get comfortable he asked, "Do you need anything else?"

Sakura gave him a curious stare. "I should be fine for a little while. Why do you ask?"

"Because I'm very tired. I didn't get much sleep last night so I thought I'd take a quick nap."

"Actually, I was hoping I could talk with you for a bit." Sakura motioned towards the chair. "Would you mind sitting down?"

Sasuke stared at her for a brief moment before shrugging his shoulders and taking a seat. "What would you like to talk about, Sakura?"

"I…I wanted to talk with you about what happened at the hospital last night."

"What about it?"

"Well, I wanted to explain my actions. I want you to understand why I did what I did."

Sasuke sighed. He should have known she'd want to talk about that. "There's no need, Sakura. Last night at the hospital, you already explained – in great detail, I might add – the reasons behind your actions."

Sakura looked at him with hopeful, pleading eyes and asked, "Then…Then you feel the same way I do? You agree with what I did?"

"I said that I understood, Sakura. I never said that I agreed with you, or the methods you used."

The look on her face became confused. "That…That doesn't make any sense, Sasuke-kun! How can you say that you understand, but still not be on my side in all of this?" Her voice began to crack as the emotions welled up within her. "Isn't the most important thing that you and I ended up together? Does it really matter how we got here?"

Sasuke thought about what she said for a moment, and then broke away from her gaze to look out the window.

"It actually matters very much Sakura, and it's pretty ironic you'd say that. Over the last few months, I've been thinking quite a bit about my childhood and the obsession I had for obtaining power. I betrayed the village in order to find it. I sold my soul to Orochimaru in order to attain it. I carried the pain and suffering of my clan being exterminated within my heart, and it fueled my desire for retribution on those responsible. I didn't care who I hurt getting there. I promised myself that I would sacrifice anything in order to reach my goal."

His gaze turned back to Sakura. "For years, my thoughts were fixated on revenge, and the hole in my heart was filled with anger and rage. But when I reached my goal, the victory was hollow since even though my purpose was fulfilled, the void still remained and I couldn't understand why."

"It was only when Naruto finally found me and convinced me to return to the village – and to you – that I thought I had found what I was searching for. My purpose was now the revival of my clan. But there was still something missing, and it's only been since Naruto has come back that I finally understand the reason why."

"It's because family is only half of the equation." He gave a slight smile and finished, "The other half is friendship."

"But Sasuke-kun, you **have** friends. I'm your friend." She placed his hand on her stomach. "Our baby is your friend. We have each other. Isn't that enough?"

He shook his head. "No Sakura, it's not. Let me ask you a question – have you ever wondered where Naruto draws his strength from? And I'm not talking about the Kyuubi, but rather his true strength?"

"I've never really thought about it, no."

"It's from his desire to protect those who are precious to him. It's the reason why people are drawn to him in the first place; because he'll never abandon someone in need. It doesn't matter if it's his friends, family or loved ones – the more people he protects, the greater his strength is. I believe that's why he never gives up, and almost never loses a fight."

"That may be true, but you're not him Sasuke-kun. The only thing that should be important is you, me and our child. You're strong enough already. You don't need anyone else."

"You're wrong, Sakura. I used to think the same way that you do; that friendship was a liability and the only thing that mattered was achieving my goal. It's only been recently that I've come to realize that the path I chose to walk of solitude and revenge has been the wrong one. He probably never intended to do so, but Naruto has shown me that both family **and** friendship are the true path to strength, and I want to follow him. Going forward, I want to walk **his** path."

"But…But he's not even your family! I should come first! I'm your family!"

Sasuke smirked and said, "He is now. You should know that last night, I asked Naruto to consider me as his brother and he accepted my offer. He may not be related by blood, but he's family as far as I'm concerned. And Kakashi-sensei knows about it as well."

Sakura stared at him incredulously, eyes wide in shock. "Are…Are you serious? I don't understand; why would you do such a thing?"

"For every reason I mentioned to you last night, as well as what I just said. Despite the fact that I betrayed him and everyone in the village, he never gave up on me. We fought almost to the death several times over the years, and yet he still called me his friend. He put his reputation on the line in order to give me a second chance in life, and the opportunity to rebuild my clan. He's sacrificed more than anyone…" He gave Sakura a penetrating stare. "…and I mean **_anyone_** for my sake, even though I never asked him to. And I'm honored – truly honored – that he would consider me as his brother, as well as give me the opportunity to make amends."

Sasuke saw that for the first time in a very long while, Sakura was stunned speechless by his words. Taking advantage of the opportunity, he rose from his seat and said, "Now as I mentioned earlier, I'm going to take a nap. In the meantime, I suggest you think about what I just said, because I shudder to think about how the village will react towards you if you're not the least bit repentant about your actions."

* * *

Across town, six people were seated around a table in Akimichi barbeque. Earlier that day, Ino and Tenten came to see Choji and asked him to gather Shikamaru, Temari, Shino, Kiba and Lee at the restaurant by eight o'clock, and to make sure the area they used was quiet and secluded.

Kiba asked, "Okay, why are we here again?"

Choji sighed. "Like I told you before, Ino and Tenten asked me to bring everyone here for a private meeting."

"I get that, but it still doesn't explain why they asked you in the first place."

Shino said, "Knowing Ino, it has to do with some piece of gossip that they overheard. But unlike previous occurrences I would surmise that this particular piece of information is rather important, otherwise the two of them wouldn't have asked for such a private setting." He nodded at Choji. "Please thank your family once again for accommodating us."

Choji nodded back. "It's not a problem, really. But I have to agree with Kiba – I wish that Ino and Tenten would get here soon so they can tell us what this is all about."

Shikamaru rubbed his forehead and said, "It's troublesome, but I'm pretty sure it has to do with Naruto and Hinata."

Temari raised her eyebrows and asked, "Why do you say that?"

"Think about it. Sakura was just released from the hospital today, and Sasuke is probably at home taking care of her. Naruto and Hinata are the only ones that could be present for this meeting that aren't."

Kiba asked, "Then what about Neji? Why isn't he here?"

"My guess is that he's the source of the information, since Tenten is involved. Otherwise, the two of them would already be here and Ino would be the only one to call for this meeting."

Lee added, "All I know is that after Naruto visited me at the hospital last night, he left to go see Hinata who was visiting Sakura in her room." His look became distressed as he finished, "Hopefully they did not have a fight, since the flames of youth burn brightly in them both. It would be a shame if they were extinguished."

Temari said, "Well, it still makes me wonder why **I'm** here though. Other than Shikamaru being my **BOYFRIEND**, I'm not part of the Konoha twelve."

No one missed the special emphasis that Temari put on the word, and Shikamaru groaned since he knew he was in for a LONG conversation when they got home later on.

However, before anything else could be said Ino walked into the room, followed closely by Tenten. Ino looked at Temari and said, "Actually, it's because we might need to ask you a favor after we're done, Temari. And besides, we value your opinion as a kunoichi."

Choji threw up his hands and said, "Finally! Now that you're here, can you tell us why you wanted to have a secret meeting at eight o'clock on a Saturday night, when we should be out right now having fun?"

Ino and Tenten sat down at the table, and passed a look between them. Ino nodded and then asked everyone else sitting at the table, "Okay…What's the biggest secret in the village?"

Kiba answered, "What Kakashi-sensei looks like underneath his mask?"

Tenten smacked him on the top of his head. "No, stupid baka! It's the identity of Hikaru's father!"

The eyes of everyone at the table became as big as dinner plates, as they stared at Ino and Tenten.

After a few moments, Shino broke the silence. "Since you broached the subject, I'm guessing you both know the identity of this person and you went through the trouble of bringing us all together in secret, since the information will come as a shock to everyone, correct?"

Ino nodded and waited a few seconds to purposely build up the tension. "It's Naruto."

They all stared at her in disbelief before Lee said, "I…I don't understand. Naruto is the father? Such a thing doesn't seem right, somehow."

Kiba added, "Yeah, I have to agree with Lee. I mean, why would Hinata want to keep something like that from Naruto? And for that matter, why doesn't Naruto remember something like that in the first place? If he really knew and was faking it the entire time, then that's the best acting job I've ever seen. I'm not buying it."

Before either Ino or Tenten could say anything, Shikamaru decided to answer his questions. "My guess is that Hinata isn't Hikaru's real mother, and I was right earlier when I said that Neji is the one who discovered the secret. Am I right?"

With the exception of Ino and Tenten, the rest of them stared at Shikamaru like he had just grown another head. However, they all knew he hadn't been joking when he'd made the statement.

Tenten sighed and said, "You're right, Shikamaru. Neji went to the hospital last night with Hikaru in order to see Hinata and make sure she was okay. The nurse told Neji that Hinata was visiting Sakura in her room, and they headed straight there. But as they were about to enter the room, they heard Naruto ask Hinata why she decided to keep the fact that he was Hikaru's father a secret. Even though Neji doesn't normally do so, he realized that the conversation was important enough that both he and Hikaru should listen in on it, and find out the truth behind everything."

"Apparently, Hinata never told Naruto because she was afraid that he would hate her for keeping Hikaru a secret all these years, and that once he found out, he'd take Hikaru and leave the village. Every situation she thought of where she told him the truth ended up with her being alone and unloved."

Temari interjected and said, "I might not know Naruto as good as the rest of you, but I can't imagine him being that cruel or heartless, especially to someone like Hinata. He's always been one of the nicest and most loyal people I've ever met."

Shino lifted his hand. "Temari, you have to understand that for most of her life Hinata lived under constant, irrational fear. Whether it was being a disappointment to her father, or looking like a failure in the eyes of her clan she never truly received the encouragement and support she deserved. Even though the rest of us knew how strong she was – or rather still is, and never wavered in our belief of her abilities, somehow with Naruto it was different. From the earliest days of her childhood, she found a strength in him that none of us could hope to replicate. He believed in her when no one else did, and it was his support and encouragement from the beginning that drove her to become stronger, and made her fall in love with him." He turned his head to the side and looked away. "She was willing to give up her life during the fight with Pain because he was so important to her. Can you imagine the fear of thinking something like that could be ripped away from you? Would you wish that on anyone else?"

Temari glanced at Shikamaru out of the corner of her eye and shook her head no.

Tenten said, "Anyway, after that Naruto wanted to ask Sakura a few questions, but she told him that she wasn't going to say anything and that he needed to leave. It was only after Sasuke threatened to find Ino and bring her to the hospital so that she could rip the information from her head did Sakura relent and agree to answer his questions."

Choji raised his eyebrows and said, "Sasuke actually said that to Sakura? That's a bit out of character for him as far as she's concerned. Why did he say that?"

"The way Neji explained it, Sasuke told Sakura that 'he'd do it for his friend, so that he could learn the truth about Hikaru'. He also wanted to hear what she had to say about it as well. But the second question Naruto asked Sakura was, at what point did she find out that she was pregnant with Hikaru, to which she replied two weeks after Naruto left the village."

With the exception of Shikamaru and Ino, they all stared at her with their mouths open, like a fish out of water. Shikamaru laughed and said, "So I was right when I thought that Sakura gave birth to Hikaru, which also somewhat explains the secrecy surrounding him."

Lee asked, "I'm not sure what you mean, Shikamaru. In what way does this explain the secrecy surrounding Hikaru?"

He looked at Tenten and said, "I'm willing to bet Sakura wasn't planning on keeping the baby, and didn't want anyone to know she was pregnant in the first place."

No sooner had he finished his statement then Temari smacked him on the back of his head. "Damn it, Shikamaru! Sometimes your intelligence can be downright annoying. Quit guessing everything before they have a chance to tell us!"

Shikamaru opened his mouth to say something, but immediately thought better of it and remained quiet.

Tenten glared at Shikamaru out of the corner of her eye. "Actually, the genius is right. Sakura told Lady Tsunade that under no circumstances would she be keeping the baby, and she asked for a mission away from the village for an entire year, so that she could give birth in secret. Then she was going to put the baby up for adoption in another village, so that no one would ever know what happened. Suna was her first choice."

Everyone flinched as they suddenly felt some killing intent radiating from Temari. "Sakura is lucky Gaara didn't know about this. Naruto is the closest thing to a brother he has left in this world, and he would have adopted Hikaru himself and buried Sakura under several tons of sand for even thinking about something like that. He remembers in great detail Naruto telling him what it was like growing up in the orphanage in Konoha."

Everyone at the table nodded in agreement. Naruto and Gaara shared a bond as jinchuuriki that the rest of them could never really understand, and they all remembered hearing the stories of when Naruto was young.

Tenten continued. "After Sakura told Lady Tsunade what she planned to do, Lady Tsunade asked if she would consider the idea of having someone from the village raise the baby instead, and suggested Hinata. After a bit of coaxing, Sakura agreed but only under the conditions that no one would ever know she was the mother, and the only person Hinata could tell the truth about Hikaru to would be Naruto. They had Hinata brought to Lady Tsunade's office and asked if she would consider the offer. Apparently, she didn't even hesitate and accepted immediately, even knowing what would happen to her reputation within the village and her clan."

Shino said, "Pardon me for interrupting Tenten, but if Sakura is the one who gave birth to Hikaru, doesn't that mean Hinata…umm, didn't conceive a child out of wedlock?"

"That's right, Shino. Hinata was a virgin when she married Naruto. She endured eight years of pointed fingers, whispers, ridicule and scorn from everyone in the village, even though none of what they thought was the least bit true. And she couldn't say anything, since Sakura had sworn her to secrecy about the entire thing, and Sakura apparently wasn't concerned about anything other than her freedom, as well as being able to pursue Sasuke."

After a moment of silence Choji said, "I don't mean to sound like Lee, but I have to say that what Sakura did to Hinata was a very 'unyouthful' act."

Ino chimed in at this point. "If you think that was 'unyouthful', then you should know that Naruto also spilled the beans about what Billboard-Brow said to him the day he left the village. Wait until you hear this…"

Ino then recounted what Tenten had heard earlier from Neji about the meeting between Naruto and Sakura on top of the Hokage monument where he proposed, and for all intents and purposes she had ripped his heart out, saying that the only reason why she dated him in the first place was that she was lonely, and she figured he would break things off when he realized that things would never work out between them. She finished the story with Sakura saying that the only person she would ever love would be Sasuke, and that if there had ever been anything beyond friendship between them, that as of that moment those feelings were dead.

Everyone at the table who didn't know the story gasped at hearing this. After a few seconds Kiba said, "Wow. It's no wonder Naruto left the village. I mean, we all know that Sakura always had an obsession with Sasuke and her own happiness, but man…that's just cold."

Tenten said, "Well, at that point Naruto told Sakura that he was glad she decided not to raise Hikaru, because she wasn't qualified to be a mother to their son in any way. Of course, Sakura said that she didn't care what Naruto said, and that she was his mother just as much as Naruto was his father. As soon as she said that, Hikaru apparently decided that he'd heard enough and walked into the room, telling Sakura that she had no idea what a mother really was and then proceeded to explain it to her in great detail. He finished it off by screaming in her face that as far as he was concerned, she wasn't his mother and never would be."

They all smiled at hearing this and Choji said, "Good for him. I only wish I could have been there when he did it." He looked at Ino and Tenten. "So now that we know the story, what was this favor you had to ask from all of us?"

Ino sighed and rubbed her forehead. "Look, we all know that under normal circumstances I'd have no problem letting everyone in the village know what happened, but this situation is different and I'd like to hear what everyone thinks about the idea of telling the villagers the truth. Frankly, I can't stand the fact that Sakura swore everyone to secrecy and didn't bother saying a damn thing, letting Hinata deal with all those years of abuse." She turned to look at Tenten. "Plus, even though I know Neji, Hanabi and Konohamaru would do the right thing, there's no one else in the Hyūga clan I trust to tell the truth."

Tenten snorted. "I agree. I wouldn't put it past the Hyūga council to change the story, and make themselves out to be victims just as much as Hinata was."

Ino nodded in agreement. "In my opinion, we need to get out in front of this and make sure everyone hears the real version of the story, not one filled with half-truths and lies. They need to know what was said, and then what took place." She looked at Temari and said, "I also think that you should let Gaara know what happened as well, since he considers Naruto like a brother, in addition to being his closest friend. I'd be interested to see what he says about Sakura secretly planning on using Suna to put Hikaru up for adoption."

Ino paused for a moment and then asked, "So what do you guys think?"

Shino nodded. "Under normal circumstances I would disagree with spreading such a personal subject around the village, but in this instance I think it would be for the best. The information will be leaked to the villagers eventually, if not sooner. And as you mentioned, the Hyūga clan knows what transpired but we are unsure if they will relay the entire conversation, or one that has been modified to evade blame for how they treated Hinata. I believe things will take the proper course of action without further help from us when everyone learns what Sakura had planned for the grandson of the Yondaime Hokage, in addition to realizing that their treatment of Hinata was undeserved."

Ino looked around the table and asked, "Then its official? We're all in agreement?"

Kiba and Choji nodded enthusiastically. Lee gave her his 'thumbs-up' gesture. Shino and Shikamaru gave her an almost imperceptible nod. And Temari grinned wickedly in response.

Ino grinned from ear to ear and rubbed her hands together. "Okay, then – **Operation Get The Word Out** begins now!"

* * *

Around ten o'clock, Naruto walked out of his study and went downstairs. With the looming possibility of leaving the village tomorrow for two months, he'd wanted to spend some 'quality time' with Hinata before he left, but the option had never presented itself.

After Hikaru had said that he considered Hinata his mother no matter what, Hinata had doted on him for the rest of the day, almost as if she was seeing him in a new light for the first time. Naruto really couldn't blame her; the fear that Hikaru would leave once he knew the truth had been all but banished from her thoughts, and the fact that both he and Hikaru had thanked her for everything she did had boosted her confidence tremendously.

As he reached the bottom of the stairs, he noticed that Hinata had fallen asleep on one end of the couch, with one of the most happy and peaceful smiles he had ever seen on her face. Hikaru was at the other end of the couch, trying his best to stay awake after a very long day. He walked up to them, laughing quietly at the scene in front of him.

Hikaru said sarcastically, "Hi, Dad. Thanks for finally showing up **after** Mom wore herself out and fell asleep."

"You're welcome, but I don't think it would have made a difference anyways. Now that we know the truth and still didn't leave, your mom isn't afraid anymore and she's looking at the both of us in an entirely different way. It just happened to be your turn today, but don't think for a moment that she's forgotten about me. I'm pretty sure my turn is coming soon."

"That's touching. Can I go to bed now?"

"You could have gone as soon as your mom fell asleep. What's stopping you?"

"Well, I wanted to ask you some questions. Mom didn't give us much of a chance to talk today."

Naruto rubbed his forehead and sighed. "Yeah, I know. How about you ask me your questions while I follow you to your room? Is that okay?"

"Sure." As he stood up and started walking towards the stairs, he looked at Naruto and asked, "When I was talking with the old lady last week, she told me that your dad was Minato Namikaze, the Yondaime Hokage. Is that true?"

"Yes, it's true."

"And you're going to be Hokage someday, right?"

"That's the plan, yes."

They reached the door to Hikaru's room and he opened it. "Then I've got very big shoes to fill, don't I?"

Naruto shook his head. "I wouldn't look at it like that, Hikaru. Don't think you have to live up to anyone else's expectations. To me and your mother, it doesn't matter whether or not you become Hokage. We'll always be proud of you, and you'll always be our son."

"Thanks. But it's not that I **_have_** to be Hokage, it's that I **_want_** to." He looked at Naruto with conviction. "I'm an Uzumaki, like my dad. And I'm a Namikaze, like my grandfather. And someday, I'm going to be Hokage so that I can protect those who are precious to me, just like they did."

Naruto placed his hand on Hikaru's shoulder and said, "Then you've got a lot of hard work ahead of you. Just remember, no one is going to give you the title of Hokage just because of who you're related to. You have to EARN it."

As Hikaru closed the door, he nodded in understanding. "I'll earn it, Dad. I promise."

Satisfied with the answer, Naruto turned around and walked back downstairs. He stared at Hinata for a few seconds, and then came to the decision that the look on her face was simply too cute to entertain the thought of waking her up.

He created a shadow clone, and then gently picked her up bridal style and carried her into the bedroom. The clone turned down the covers for him, and then dispelled so that he could place Hinata on her side of the bed. As he lovingly brushed the hair away from her face, he realized that two months away from her to train with the Mienai Segi was going to feel like a lifetime. He pulled the covers up, and then disrobed so that he could join her in the bed.

Unconsciously sensing his presence, Hinata rolled over and clutched Naruto close to her. The peaceful and contented smile remained on her face, as she sighed and softly murmured, "My Naru-kun."

Naruto smiled at her show of affection for him, grateful that they were now at a place in their relationship where there were no more secrets or misunderstandings. Knowing in his heart that she loved him as much as he loved her, he kissed her forehead and then whispered in her ear, "My Hime."

He closed his eyes and after a few minutes, a peaceful sleep claimed him and his dreams were filled with thoughts of the smiling woman pressed firmly against his side.

* * *

The next day at noon, Naruto arrived at the Hokage's tower to get the answer to his question from the day prior. He felt that this meeting was basically a formality, since he couldn't think of one good reason for Kakashi to refuse his request to leave the village and train with the Mienai Segi for two months.

He'd felt guilty earlier that morning when Hinata had asked if the three of them could spend the day together again, but since Kakashi had forbidden him from talking about the mission request, he had to omit that piece of information and regrettably told her that he had a meeting with the Hokage and couldn't miss it. Hinata had mockingly pouted about it, but understood that because of who her husband was, these things were bound to happen. Hinata kissed him and said that both she and Hikaru would meet up with him later after he was finished.

He walked into the office and noticed that once again, Sasuke was already there, and his face bore the same genuine smile as when he'd left the previous day. However, the lone visible eye on Kakashi's face stared back at him with an impassive look.

Naruto glanced at the two of them, and then looked at Kakashi. "Judging by the looks on your faces, I'm guessing that you're letting us go."

Kakashi narrowed his eye and said, "You're correct, but it's not without reservations. I'm very uncomfortable with letting my two strongest ninja leave the village for two months, without any way of contacting you if something goes wrong."

Naruto chuckled. "Well, if that's what you're worried about then it's not a problem at all. Hinata has a way to get in touch with me if there's an emergency and you need us back here."

"Care to elaborate as to what that method might be?"

Naruto raised his hand and pushed some chakra into it. "This is called an amalgamation seal. Hinata has one almost exactly like mine, but hers is missing the yang part while mine is missing the yin part. It allows the two of us to perceive each other's feelings, so if I sense that Hinata needs me or might be in trouble, I can use the Hiraishin no Jutsu and be there in a flash to protect her."

Kakashi raised his eyebrow and asked, "Just to satisfy my curiosity, how many Hiraishin seals do you have written around the village?"

Naruto shrugged. "Only a few. Hinata has one carved on the inside of her wedding ring, and then I have one at the hospital, my house, the front gate, training ground twenty-six and Ichiraku Ramen. As much as I'd like to have additional spots, I'm trying to respect everyone's privacy and ask first before I go placing any more around the village."

Kakashi nodded and said, "Then this works out for everybody. You have my permission to leave and since I'm feeling so generous, both of you will receive S-rank pay for this mission. But due to the level of secrecy surrounding this mission, I'm going to require that you use the Hiraishin no Jutsu to transport both you and Sasuke to the front gate, and the two of you can leave straight from there. I don't want either of you going home and risking an interrogation from your wives as to where I've sent you."

Sasuke shook his head. "I can't do that, Kakashi-sensei. Sakura is six months or so pregnant, she has the same chakra enhanced strength as Lady Tsunade and her hormones are out of control. Leaving the village without an explanation will only make things worse and if that happens, I might consider not coming home at all."

Naruto nodded. "I have to agree with Sasuke, and even though I'm sure that Hinata will understand I really don't want to leave without saying something to her first. We just got past all of her fears of me leaving the village, and then I just disappear without even leaving a note? Not a chance."

Kakashi sighed and handed each one of them a blank piece of paper and a pen. "Fine, both of you can write a letter explaining in very basic terms why you're leaving the village, and DON'T mention the Mienai Segi at all. If you do, I'm burning the letter and you can deal with the consequences when you come back. Understood?"

They both nodded and Sasuke began to write, but Naruto paused for a minute and stared at his paper. Kakashi watched him do this, and then finally decided to break the silence.

"Is there something wrong, Naruto?"

He looked up. "Not really Kakashi-sensei, but I'd like to ask you a question. Would you agree with me if I said that you could have done a better job training me when I was young?"

Kakashi thought about that for a moment and then said, "Well, I may not have been the best sensei in the world but I don't think…"

Naruto raised one eyebrow and gave him a withering look.

Kakashi sighed. "Okay fine, I stunk at it. Is there any reason why you're asking me this now?"

"Yeah, actually there is. I'm going to give you a chance to make it up to me, and I want your sworn word that you'll follow through with what I'm asking for – or else."

"Or else what?"

"Or else I'll refuse every request from the Council to make me Hokage, while I watch you grow old and grey sitting in this office. And at the rate you're going, that'll be in about another ten years or so."

Kakashi's eye went wide with fear. "You…You wouldn't dare! You've been dreaming about this job since you were young!"

Naruto grinned maliciously. "You're right, but I think watching you suffer behind that desk will be much more rewarding than being Hokage." He looked at Sasuke and said, "Don't you agree, teme?"

Sasuke stopped writing and said, "No doubt about it, dobe. As a matter of fact, maybe we can even make things worse. Have you told Hikaru about all of the pranks you used to pull? He might even be able to top some of them with a little encouragement…"

Kakashi waved his hands in the air. "All right, all right! You win! I give you my sworn word that I'll follow through with whatever you want."

"Glad we could come to an agreement. Now, I need you to do a few things for me while I'm gone…"

* * *

"So we're really going to meet the Hokage?"

Hinata smiled and said, "Yes Hikaru, we really are."

"Is there a reason why you think he wants to meet with us has something to do with Dad?"

"Because it's three o'clock in the afternoon, and your father didn't meet up with us at the park. He wouldn't have missed spending the day with us unless something very important happened."

Hikaru stared at the ground and said, "I guess that makes sense. I just hope it's not anything dangerous."

A small twinge of fear gripped her heart at his statement, but she pushed it aside. "I wouldn't worry too much about it, Hikaru. I'm sure everything is fine."

Hikaru nodded and they continued to walk towards the Hokage tower. Upon arriving, they politely knocked and Kakashi told them to enter. As they did, they received a surprise when they noticed that Sakura was already there, sitting on the couch.

Kakashi eye smiled at them. "Good afternoon, you two." He gestured towards the chairs in front of his desk. "Please come in and have a seat."

Hinata closed the door and walked past Sakura, making sure that neither she nor Hikaru spared her a glance. For her part, Sakura gave them the same impassive stare that Sasuke usually wore, as she watched the two of them take a seat.

The tension in the office was so thick; you could cut it with a knife. And Kakashi knew that if Sakura wasn't pregnant, both she and Hinata would have already been fighting by now, probably destroying a good portion of his office in doing so. He immediately regretted the offer he'd made to Sasuke and Naruto earlier that day, when he promised to deal with the repercussions of them leaving unexpectedly. The situation was far too volatile right now, and he needed to finish this meeting as fast as possible or something bad was going to happen.

"Now, I'm sure everyone is wondering why I've summoned you to my office this afternoon."

Sakura and Hinata nodded, but Hikaru interrupted and asked rather loudly, "It's because you sent my dad on a secret mission, right?"

Hinata smacked him gently on the back of the head and exclaimed, "Hikaru! That's the Hokage, and you WILL address him properly. Understand?"

_As Hikaru rubbed the back of his head and mumbled an apology, Kakashi laughed inwardly and thought, He's just like his father was at that age. How could everyone have missed the similarities all this time?_

Kakashi eye smiled and said, "Actually, Hikaru is correct. At noon today, I sent Sasuke and Naruto on an extended S-rank mission. They'll be gone from the village for about two months."

The eyes of everyone in the office went wide as Kakashi made the statement.

"Two months?" Sakura asked incredulously. "You sent my husband on a mission away from the village for two months, Kakashi-sensei? How…How could you do that to me? I'm pregnant! I need him here to help me!"

Kakashi sighed. "It couldn't be helped, Sakura. This mission concerns the future safety of the village, and in case you've forgotten they're the two strongest ninja I have at my disposal." He held up his hand. "And since I'm sure you're going to ask, the answer to your next question is no – neither Sasuke or Naruto were allowed to come home and inform either of you that they were leaving because I specifically forbade them from doing so."

He reached into his desk and produced two letters. He gave one to Hinata, and then walked around his desk and handed the other one to Sakura. "However, after the two of them argued that leaving without letting you know **something** wouldn't be in their best interest, I relented and allowed them to write each of you a letter. I've already scanned them to make sure there's nothing about the location and nature of the mission I sent them on, but I want you both to understand that the blame for how they left lies with me, and not them."

He sat back down at his desk. "Now, before he left Sasuke asked me to ensure someone was available to assist you during the two months he would be gone. I've made some inquiries, and right now you have a choice between Lady Kurenai, Might Guy or one of the ANBU. Which one would you like?"

Sakura raised her eyebrows at the list. "Those are my only choices? What about Ino? Or Tenten?"

"I've already asked them, along with the rest of your classmates. They all declined my request – rather forcefully, I might add. They said that if you wanted to know why, you should just ask Neji."

He watched as the look on Sakura's face turned dark, while a small smile appeared on Hinata's lips. Based on the reaction he just witnessed, Kakashi had a feeling that somehow Neji found out what was written in the mission file and had informed everyone else.

After a tense moment Sakura said, "Fine. I'll take one of the ANBU for right now."

"Very well." He pressed a button on his desk, and a few seconds later an ANBU appeared in his office.

"You called, Lord Hokage?"

"Yes. Please accompany Lady Sakura back to her apartment and if she requires it, provide assistance to her for the rest of the day. Also, please inform your captain that until Sasuke returns to the village, I am directing that one ANBU per day will be at her disposal." He looked back at Sakura and said, "Unless you have anything else you wish to ask me, you're free to leave."

"Just me?" She pointed at Hinata and Hikaru. "What about those two?"

Kakashi gave her a hard stare and said, "Not that it's any of your concern, but I still have unrelated personal matters to discuss with them." His gaze moved back to the ANBU standing in front of his desk. "Escort Lady Sakura out of my office and see to it that she gets home safely."

Sakura glared daggers at Kakashi for several seconds, and then she stood up and stormed out of the room. The ANBU followed her out, closing the door behind them.

Kakashi watched her go, and gave a huge sigh of relief once she was out of his office. As he rubbed his temples to relieve the tension headache Sakura had given him, he looked over and saw that Hinata and Hikaru were staring at him inquisitively.

"Curious as to why you're still here and she's not?"

Hikaru said, "Actually Hokage-sama, I just figured it was because she's annoying and you wanted to get rid of her as fast as you could."

Kakashi laughed at his comment. "Not really, that was more of an added bonus." His demeanor turned serious again. "The main reason is that I needed to speak privately with you both. Before he left, Naruto asked me for several personal favors in regards to the two of you."

Curious as to what her husband could have goaded out of the Hokage of all people, Hinata raised her eyebrows and asked, "Favors, Kakashi-sensei? What kind of favors?"

"The first favor was that from now until the time Naruto and Sasuke return to the village, you will be given mission assignments that are within the village only. The only way you're getting out of here is if the Fire Daimyo asks for you personally." His look softened a bit. "I realize this will relegate you to D-rank missions for the next two months, but I'll try to make them as interesting as possible."

Hinata knew that Naruto had asked for this because he was concerned for her safety, and he wanted her to be there to protect Hikaru. She bowed her head and said, "I understand. Thank you, Kakashi-sensei."

Kakashi then turned his gaze towards Hikaru, making the boy shift uncomfortably in his seat.

"I believe this is the first time we've actually met face to face Hikaru, however I'd like to ask you a few questions. First of all, I'm aware that you've only known that Naruto is your father for a few days, but do you know the list of his accomplishments? And how important he is to this village?

Hikaru swallowed nervously. "Yes sir, I do. The old lady told me all about them last week, when Dad left me with her for a few hours until Mom got back to the village."

_Kakashi thought, Old lady? He must be talking about Tsunade. Only Naruto's son could get away with something like that. "Did you know that when he was young, I was his sensei?"_

Hikaru nodded. "The old lady told me that too."

"Then I'm guessing you know who your grandfather was?"

Hikaru nodded again. "Yes, sir. He was Minato Namikaze, the Yondaime Hokage."

Kakashi eye smiled at him. "Did you also know that he was MY sensei?"

Hikaru's eyes became wide and he shook his head. "You…You knew my grandfather? He was your sensei?"

"Yes Hikaru, he was." Kakashi stared off into space for a moment. "And this village owes both your grandfather and your father a great debt."

Hikaru remained silent. He knew that whatever the Hokage was thinking about, it must be a very sensitive subject, and he decided not be his usual self and ask any questions that might make the situation worse.

After several seconds, Kakashi focused back on Hikaru. "Your dad said that two days ago, he showed you the Rasengan. Is this correct?"

"Yes sir, he did. I was out yesterday morning practicing the first stage of it."

Kakashi nodded and then looked at Hinata. "Naruto also told me that he's trying to teach you a new technique, where you can shoot chakra over a long distance. In order to do this, you are practicing the first stage of the Rasengan as well."

"That's right, Kakashi-sensei. Naruto-kun believes that if I can spin my chakra at high speeds, I can throw it like Senbon needles at the enemy. My clan doesn't really have any long range techniques, and Naruto-kun thought this skill would be rather…umm, effective during a battle."

Kakashi eye smiled at her and said, "I'd have to agree, Hinata. And that's why from now until Naruto comes back, I'm going to personally train the two of you every afternoon for two hours. From Monday through Friday, the both of you will meet me at training ground ten at two o'clock."

Hinata and Hikaru were shocked. It wasn't very often that the Hokage offered to train someone, and for two hours every day no less.

Hikaru raised his hand. "Excuse me, Hokage-sama. Can I ask a question?"

"Certainly, Hikaru. Go right ahead."

Hikaru gave him a sheepish look and said, "I'm…I'm very honored that you want to train us, and I don't want to sound ungrateful – but I'm just wondering, why you? Other than the fact that the village owes him a lot, is there some reason why my dad asked you and not someone else?"

Kakashi laughed and said, "You know, Naruto told me that you would ask that very question." He stood up and extended his right hand, palm facing up. "The reason why he asked me is because of this."

And right in front of their eyes, Kakashi created a Rasengan in the palm of his hand. Hinata and Hikaru stared at him in awe as he held the rotating sphere of chakra in front of them.

"I learned how to do the Rasengan from Minato-sensei when I was his student, and the only other person I know of who can do this besides Naruto is Konohamaru. Naruto taught him how to do it when he was about Hikaru's age. However as you can see, mine is rather small in size compared to those that Naruto can produce."

Kakashi dispersed the Rasengan and said, "I have two months to teach you…" He pointed at Hinata. "…a new technique that's never been done, and you…" He pointed at Hikaru. "…how to do the Rasengan. And just so you know Hikaru, it took your father about two weeks to learn how to do it."

He looked back at Hinata. "Naruto believes in you more than anyone else I know. He's confident that you will complete this new technique and show your clan the talent and strength he's always known to be there, but they were unable to see."

Then he looked at Hikaru. "And as the grandson of the fourth Hokage, as well as the son of the Hero of the Leaf, I just want to know one thing…" Kakashi leaned forward and stared hard into his eyes. "…do you have what it takes to learn this technique and follow in their footsteps?"

Kakashi immediately saw the Will of Fire in his eyes as Hikaru returned his gaze and said, "You better believe it, Hokage-sama. I'll take whatever you can dish out, and then ask for more. I WILL learn the Rasengan, and I WILL protect those who are precious to me, just like my father and grandfather did."

Kakashi eye smiled at Hikaru. "Good. That's the type of attitude I expect to see from you. Meet me at training ground ten at two o'clock tomorrow and we'll get started."

Hikaru shook his head. "I don't think so. We've still got a few hours of daylight left, so we should get started today." He stood up and walked to the door with purpose. "When you're done talking with my Mom, I'll be waiting for you at training ground ten." And he opened the door and left, not bothering to close it behind him.

Hinata watched him go, and then turned to Kakashi and said, "Kakashi-sensei, I'm very sorry and I apologize for my son's rude behavior. When…"

Kakashi held up his hand to cut her off. "Don't be, Hinata. What he's trying to learn is a high level S-rank jutsu, and even though Naruto believes in Hikaru and his abilities, it doesn't change the fact that you have to have the conviction for this type of training. I needed to see the Will of Fire in him for myself, and that's exactly what just happened." He chuckled and said, "In many ways, he's just like his father. You should be very proud of him."

Hinata smiled and bowed her head. "I am, Kakashi-sensei. And I know he will make Naruto-kun proud as well."

* * *

Sakura walked through the door of her apartment, followed closely by the ANBU that Kakashi had assigned to her for the rest of the day. She was already in a bad mood since her talk with Sasuke yesterday, and today it felt like her pregnancy hormones were out of control. The conversation with Kakashi had only served to make things worse, between the fact that he had sent Sasuke on a mission for two months and her abrupt dismissal from his office so that he could speak privately with Hinata and Hikaru.

The trip home however, had been the thing that pushed her temper into the danger zone. When Kakashi had basically hinted that Neji had told the rest of her classmates about the conversation last night at the hospital, she had assumed that the news wouldn't spread any further but it seemed that once again, she had underestimated Ino and her propensity for spreading gossip. The trip home had been anything but pleasant, as a few of the villagers had given her stares of disappointment, and then once they thought she was out of range, they began to whisper amongst each other and point in her direction.

"Is there something I could assist you with, Lady Sakura?"

Sakura turned around and looked at her escort. As frustrated as she was with the whole situation, she understood that none of it was the fault of the ANBU, who was merely following the orders given by the Hokage.

"Actually I'm fine, but I would like some privacy for a bit. Is there a way I can have you leave and then summon you when I need assistance?"

The ANBU nodded and pulled out a paper seal, handing it to her. "When you need me again, just push some chakra into this and I'll return. In the meantime, I'll relay the orders Hokage-sama gave me at his office about making sure one of us is available for you each day going forward. Is that acceptable?"

Sakura nodded back and thanked the ANBU, who then disappeared in a swirl of leaves. Alone at last, she walked into the living room and slowly lowered herself into her "pregnancy seat", which was merely an overstuffed chair with extra cushioning to help alleviate the pain in her lower back. Once she was comfortable, she reached into her pocket and produced the letter that Sasuke had given to Kakashi before he left.

She thought about the last few months with her husband, and the changes in his personality that she hadn't even bothered to notice until he'd brought them up during their talk yesterday. Her thoughts turned bitter as she realized that it wasn't the changes that bothered her so much, but the fact that the one to inspire them had been Naruto and not her.

It always seemed to happen this way – when Naruto was around, for some reason everything centered on him and he brought about positive change in people. During the time that Naruto had been gone, she'd married Sasuke and became the center of HIS world, and every minute he doted on her had been wonderful because SHE was important for once, and not Naruto.

On the other hand, if there was one thing Sakura knew about herself, it was that she was extremely territorial. She hated giving up something she believed was hers, and right now she sensed that the situation was slipping through her fingers, and she didn't like the feeling it gave her. Not one bit.

She frowned and then deciding she couldn't put it off any longer, she opened the letter and began to read…

*:*

*:*

_Sakura,_

_As I'm sure you know by now, Kakashi sent me on a mission away from the village for two months. I would like you to understand that I could have readily declined to go on this mission, but have instead accepted the offer for several reasons that I would like to explain to you._

_Naruto believes that there is trouble coming to Konoha, as well as the rest of the elemental nations. Knowing his history of bad luck when it comes to things like this, I've chosen to believe him. He's given me the choice of becoming stronger to protect those who are precious to me, or believing that my current level of power will be enough to face the coming storm._

_I have chosen the first option, due to the fact that the number of people that I wish to protect is steadily increasing. Whether it be you and our unborn child, or the villagers and our friends, I have decided to protect everyone until my dying breath. This is the path that Naruto walks, and the one that I will follow. I have already told you the reasons why._

_I also believe that my time away from the village will be beneficial, as it will give you the opportunity to make amends for the pain you have caused to others through your selfishness. In my opinion, I think you should seriously reflect on who you've hurt and everything you've done, as well as where you're heading if you continue down this path you insist on walking._

_As someone with immeasurable amounts of experience in this area, I know what awaits you at the end of your journey, and it's nothing but suffering and loneliness. I urge you to change the fate I foresee for you, because I can assure you that it's not the fairy tale ending that you think it's going to be._

_You have my word that I will return before the birth of our child. Until then, please remain safe._

_Sasuke_

*:*

*:*

Sakura closed the letter and stared at it, tapping it against her lips as she went over the contents again in her mind. After a minute, she ripped it in half and threw the pieces down on the table before a voice she hadn't heard in quite some time decided to comment on her action.

_Things are unraveling fast, Inner Sakura said. People in the village are already starting to find out what happened, and the news will spread quickly._

"You don't need to remind me; I saw the looks they gave me on the way home. And I'm well aware that Ino will make sure the villagers know everything within a few days."

_It also looks like Sasuke-kun isn't going to support the actions we took to ensure that Naruto brought him back to the village. And despite our best efforts to remain distant from him, Naruto is beginning to influence things just like he did before._

"You think I don't already see that? I know I'm losing Sasuke-kun to Naruto and his ideals. Would it even make a difference with everyone if I faked an apology and pretended to be remorseful for what I did?"

_It would certainly make a difference, but it's also going to increase the influence Naruto has significantly. Is that what you want?_

"Not really. So then what do I do? It sounds like no matter what choice I make, I'm going to lose in all of this."

_The villagers are going to empathize with him either way. Perhaps the standard approach would be best for now – wait for a bit to see if any of this will blow over and if it doesn't, you can always pretend to be remorseful later and apologize. It may be an extreme example, but it worked for Sasuke-kun so can you think of a reason why it wouldn't work for you?_

Sakura mulled that over for a little and then nodded to herself in agreement. The plan was sound and it gave her the option of correcting things later if everything turned sour, as well as buying time to see if there was anyone else in the village that understood and sympathized with her.

But she swore that once this was all over, Sasuke-kun's attention **would** be turned back to her and their child. Despite what he said to her yesterday, the truth of the matter was that **they** were her family and not Naruto, and it would be a cold day in hell before she willingly relinquished one shred of control over his heart to anyone.

* * *

Hikaru walked through the door of the house followed closely by Hinata, both of them looking tired and bedraggled. After the meeting in the Hokage's office where Hikaru had told Kakashi that he was heading for training ground ten right away, Kakashi decided to take advantage of his enthusiasm and bring Hinata there as well. From the time they arrived until around six o'clock, Kakashi drilled them both on the first stage of the Rasengan, even going so far as to ask questions about Hinata's chakra affinity (which somewhat surprisingly, turned out to be water and not lightning like most Hyūga clan members) so that he could better shape her training to accomplish the desired effect Naruto was confident she could achieve.

Afterwards, Hinata realized that she was far too exhausted to cook dinner, and decided that they should go out to eat instead. However, two or so hours of grueling training left them with very little options, unless they wanted to go home to shower and change their outfits first. Both of them knew if that happened, food would be an afterthought to sleep, so Hinata reluctantly agreed to Hikaru's request to eat at Ichiraku Ramen.

Old man Teuchi and Ayame had both been glad to see them, staying open past their normal closing time to feed their best customers in town. Despite how hungry Hinata was, her Hyūga manners kicked in and she only ordered two bowls of Shoyu ramen with shrimp. Hikaru on the other hand ordered Miso ramen with beef, shoveling bowl after bowl down his throat. When Hinata told him to slow down and show some manners, Hikaru groaned and said that eating this much ramen as fast as he could was also training. Based on the comment and knowing who his father was, she was SURE there had been more than a few eating contests between them over the last few months, even though she didn't have any proof of it.

Now that the adrenaline had worn off, exhaustion was kicking in and it became an effort for Hinata to even remain standing. A hot shower before she went to bed sounded wonderful and besides, she still had a private letter from her husband to read.

"Hikaru, you need to go upstairs, take a shower and then go to bed. You have classes at the academy in the morning, and then we have another training session tomorrow afternoon with the Hokage. Both of us need some rest."

He nodded. "Okay, Mom." Hikaru began to walk up the stairs, but halfway up he stopped and turned around.

"Hey, Mom?"

"Yes, sweetie?"

"You did real good today, and I know you're gonna master this new technique by the time Dad gets back. I believe in you, just like he does."

Hinata smiled at her son. "Thank you for saying that, Hikaru. I believe in you too. Now get to bed."

He smiled back, and then turned around to finish walking up the stairs into his room. Hinata waited for a bit, and then walked into her own bedroom and quickly stripped from her outfit. She wearily dragged herself into the bathroom and took a long, hot shower to help alleviate the ache she felt throughout her body. After drying herself off, she put on her nightclothes and got into bed so that she could finally relax and read the letter Naruto had left for her.

*:*

*:*

_Hinata-hime,_

_I know that today didn't turn out like you'd thought it would, and I hope that you'll forgive me for leaving like this. I wanted to tell you yesterday about the possibility of me leaving – or at the very least talk to you before Kakashi-sensei sent me on this mission – but he gave me strict instructions not to say anything to you or anyone else._

_But I still believe I owe you an explanation for what's happening._

_During the battle in Konoha two nights ago, several things were said that left me with more questions than answers, and I can't shake the feeling that there's a storm brewing on the horizon. What I'm most worried about though, is that my __strength__ and __discipline__ won't be enough to protect those who are precious to me, and with my history of bad luck when it comes to things like this, I feel that it's better to be safe than sorry. The purpose of this mission is not only to become stronger, but also to deal with certain negative emotions from my past regarding a certain kunoichi that resurfaced recently. I neither want to forgive nor forget what happened, but I also don't want it to affect our lives going forward, and if I plan on being Hokage I can't let these feelings rule my life or cloud my judgment._

_Please understand that it pains me more than you know to be away from you for two months. In the past few days, I think I've come to understand how much I truly mean to you, and the sacrifices you accepted because of the depth of that love. You've said on multiple occasions about how I'm your strength and inspiration, but you should also know that the reverse is true as well. It's YOU that makes me strong, and it's your love that encourages me in everything that I do._

_One of the conditions of this mission is that I leave the seal open, so that if there's an emergency and you need either of us back in Konoha you can contact me. I have a Hiraishin seal at the front gate, and I'm fairly certain that if I use some of Kurama's chakra I can transport us home if I need to. But please contact me only if a true emergency exists, since the training we're about to undertake is going to be very demanding, both physically and mentally and we can't afford any distractions._

_Kakashi-sensei should have spoken to you by now about certain favors I've asked him for while I'm away, and I'm confident that both you and Hikaru will complete your training by the time I return. I believe in you and your nindō, just as you've always believed in me and mine._

_Never forget that I love you more than anything else in this world, Hinata-hime. I promise I'll be back as soon as I can. Believe it._

_Naruto_

*:*

*:*

Hinata closed the letter and smiled. Even though it had only been two days since Naruto had confessed his feelings for her, she realized that hearing him say "I love you" was something she'd never get tired of.

However, there was also one important item that she noticed in the letter. Naruto had purposely underlined the words strength and discipline, which was a direct reference to the tattoo marks on his arms. Even though Kakashi said that he'd scanned the letters to make sure there wasn't anything revealing about the mission he sent Naruto and Sasuke on, somehow this piece slipped right by him.

_He's secretly telling me that wherever he went, it has something to do with the Mienai Segi, Hinata thought. And based on our conversation the other night when Anubis attacked Konoha, it must be really big for him to take Sasuke away from the village for two months._

A sudden thought came to mind, and she reasoned to herself that wherever Naruto was headed he couldn't have arrived at his destination yet. Although he'd told her not to do so, she caressed his essence with warmth and love, along with a little bit of longing thrown in for good measure, to let him know that she'd read the letter and would miss him terribly while he was gone.

After a minute, he responded back with the same emotions but also added a twinge of disappointment because she'd disobeyed his instructions.

Hinata smiled and laughed to herself, and then reached over to turn off the light. She placed her hand with the seal on it over her heart and drifted off to sleep, thinking of the man she loved and dreaming of the day he'd return to her.

* * *

Iruka Umino walked along the streets of Konoha towards the ninja academy, reflecting on the mornings' events. For most of the weekend, Shizune wore a telltale smirk on her face which basically implied that she knew something that he didn't. When he pressed her for an answer to his question of, "What's so funny?" the only response he received was, "You'll see."

However, this morning as he left the house his wife decided to give him a small hint, telling him that if he walked into the classroom and saw Hikaru with a smug grin on his face, then he should call him up to the front of the class.

When he asked why he should do this, Shizune said that he might have something to say that's important.

When he asked what that might be, his lovely wife – who apparently loved to torture him emotionally – simply replied with the same phrase she'd been using for the past two days and said, "You'll see."

Iruka swore that every woman in the world belonged to a secret society whose main goal was merely to infuriate men before driving them completely insane. Either that, or it was something they were born with – and that seemed more farfetched than his theory about the secret society.

So of course he walked into his classroom, and after everyone took their seat and the noise had died down, he spotted Hikaru sitting with his arms crossed in front of his chest, sporting the smug grin his WONDERFUL wife was sure he'd be wearing today.

Mentally sighing to himself, Iruka decided to get whatever prank Shizune had put Hikaru up to over with as soon as possible. He knew that if he didn't do it, Shizune would find out somehow which only made his whole 'secret society' idea that much stronger.

"Hikaru, you seem to have something very important that you want to say. Care to come to the front of the class and share it with us?"

Hikaru was shocked for a second; his father had given him instructions on what to do but he certainly wasn't expecting to be in front of the class first thing in the morning. He hesitated briefly, and then the grin on his face grew wider, as he bounded down the stairs to stand next to Iruka.

He placed his hands on his hips and faced his classmates and said, "I just want everyone to know that over the weekend, I found out who my dad is – and his name is Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze, the Hero of the Leaf."

The class was silent for a bit, and then several students began to laugh quietly, while even Iruka chuckled at his statement. He smiled and said, "Hikaru, I think you're confused. You probably think Naruto is your father only because he married your mother."

Hikaru shook his head. "Nope, not confused at all. He's my real dad, and not just because he married my mom. I know the difference."

_What the hell is Shizune trying to pull? He thought to himself. There's no way she could get Hikaru to go along with an elaborate prank like this, knowing it would embarrass him in front of his classmates._

"Hikaru, I'm finding your statement very hard to believe. I mean, if Naruto is your real father – and I'm not saying he is – then why don't you look anything like him? You don't even have the same hair color as he does."

Surprisingly enough, Hikaru laughed at his statement.

"What's so funny, Hikaru?"

"You are, Iruka-sensei. My Dad told me on Saturday that's exactly what you'd say when I told you, and then he told me what to do when you said it."

Iruka raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what might that be?"

"Well, first of all he told me to tell you that my hair color is an Uzumaki trait, and that I get it from Kushina baa-chan. He said you'd remember what she looks like, since she was the Hokage's wife and everyone called her the Bloody Habanero because of it."

The smile vanished from Iruka's face and was replaced with a blank stare.

"And then he said that you'd remember this from the night you gave him his hitai-ate." He crossed his fingers in front of him and exclaimed, "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

As the smoke cleared, everyone saw that twenty shadow clones had appeared around Iruka, whose eyes had gone wide and was staring at Hikaru in shock. Not everyone had the ability to make this many shadow clones at once.

"And finally, he said to do this." Every clone raised their right hand into the air and shouted, "MY NAME IS HIKARU UZUMAKI NAMIKAZE! AND SOMEDAY, I'M GONNA BE HOKAGE! BELIEVE IT!"

Iruka was staring at Hikaru in horror. _She knew,_ he thought to himself. _Somehow, Shizune found out that Naruto is his real father and she let me find out like this._ He slowly walked over to his desk and sat down, burying his face in his hands.

"I'm getting too old for this." He mumbled to himself. "I wonder if the Hokage would let me retire right now, rather than face the insanity of teaching another Naruto for four more years."

* * *

A/N: Ta da! Another chapter under my belt. Hopefully this one gave my readers a little hint of things to come and what's going to trigger a lot of those events.

Just to let everyone know, I had several ideas for what I was going to do with the plot of this story, but after bantering back and forth with a few authors on this site I think I'm going to take this in a different direction. As such, I want to thank **KingKakashi** for his inspiration and being a sounding board for my ideas, as well as **Chewie Cookies** and **Titokhan** for being great listeners and giving me your opinion. Things are going to get deliciously wicked going forward, and you have these authors to thank for it.

**_Recommendation time!_** Okay, I'm going to continue on the road of recommending good stories even though they're not NaruHina for one more chapter, because I really like it when a writer makes a fantastic product. This will be the last recommendation for a non-NaruHina story for a while that I do, but based on what I've read you should check out **Council's Folly by Aggammenonn.** It's a Naruto/Temari pairing story with Ino eventually joining the group but it doesn't bash Hinata in any way which is one of my prerequisites for recommending something that isn't my favorite couple. The number of followers and favorites he has speaks for itself as to how good a story it is. If you read it and like it, leave a review because I'm sure the author will appreciate it.

Here's the link, just remove the spaces and you know what to replace the stars with:

www . fanfiction . *** / s / 8792983

So what's coming up? The next chapter is going to encompass quite a few things for the two months that Sasuke and Naruto are gone while they train with the Mienai Segi along with ***gasp*** the reveal of Kakashi's love interest. There will be shocks and surprises to go around, some good and some not but hopefully it will be enough to keep my audience riveted!

I know that many people are going to be clamoring for the next chapter, but like I said at the beginning of this one it's the reviews that spur me on and keep me going! The more reviews I get, the faster I write because I don't want to disappoint my loyal readers! So if you want to see the next one soon, then take a few moments and leave me an encouraging review. And as an extra bonus, if I go over 775 reviews I'll push the next chapter out by New Year's Day! How's that for a bargain?

That's all for now. Take care and stay safe.

Serious Sam


	18. Ch 17: First Month

17\. First Month

**Meanwhile, at the Hall of Justice…The SuperFriends receive a package from a mysterious source. The contents of that package? Chapter 17.**

So here's Chapter 17 for my faithful readers. I promised to release this by New Year's Day if I got over 775 reviews, and we fell a little short, but the reason we came so close was mostly due to reader **sgtvp**, who read my entire story and left a review after every chapter. I would also like to thank fellow author **OGAFazer89AC** who took the time out of his busy schedule to read my story and make some observations. I'm dedicating this chapter to the two of you.

As always, I would like to mention fellow author **Titokhan** for helping me out, as well as my anonymous beta for his continued efforts and support. You guys rock! Thanks again for keeping me on the straight and narrow, as well as being a sounding board for my ideas. You have no idea how much I appreciate it.

So let's just give some shout outs to a few people:

**Titokhan:** I wanted to give credit where credit is due on this one. The idea for the group session between the remnants of the Konoha 12 (plus Temari) last chapter was his idea, and there are several others coming up that he suggested as well. Many thanks for helping me push through my writer's block.

**Hektols:** Credit to him for giving the idea of finding out the reaction from other villages when they find out about what Sakura had planned. I started it when I had Temari in the discussion last chapter, but you'll see where I take this over the next few chapters and it integrates nicely with the plot. Kudos to you, sir.

**AP Samuels/bennie403:** I'm going to put in a piece about visiting the toads somewhere down the line. Don't worry, it's coming. And I would like to give credit to **bennie403** for his idea regarding the love interest for Kakashi. I'm using a variation of it, but the original concept was his.

**Jtwhitev:** I understand your reasoning, but there's a reason why it's not earth. You find out why next chapter.

**Raja-Ulat:** You just might get your wish.

And now that we've finished with that, we can get to what people have been waiting for – new stuff! I'm just giving everyone a heads-up, these next two chapters won't have any NaruHina fluffiness (because he's out of the village) or action sequences because I'm advancing the plot over a two month period. So just be prepared for it.

On with the show! Let's see who can guess where this chapter's disclaimer came from:

**_Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto, and I must proclaim my love! Oh Empress Nympho, I would do anything to gain your favor._**

**_Empress Nympho – Would you truly do anything?_**

**_Disclaimer – Yes! Tell me…How can I ensnare you? What bait must I use to catch you? I am your servant!_**

**_Empress Nympho – Ah, but the servant waits…While the *master* baits! (+1 if you get the reference.)_**

* * *

Chapter 17 – First Month

The crackle of the campfire was the only sound that could be heard, as two of the strongest ninja in the elemental nations sat in relative silence around the flames, waiting patiently for their dinner to finish cooking. They had caught two rabbits earlier that day and Naruto was rotating them slowly over the fire. He might not be the best cook in the world, but at the very least he was sure he could manage to avoid burning something as simple as this.

Sasuke broke the silence and asked, "How much farther is this place we're going to?"

Naruto looked up from his task and said, "It's actually a few days travel past the western border of the Land of Wind. I have a Hiraishin seal located near there, and I figure once we get past Suna I can use some of Kurama's chakra to transport us the rest of the way. Normally I'd walk there, but that would take a week and we can't waste that much time."

"Then why didn't we just use the Hiraishin no Jutsu to get there from Konoha in the first place?"

Naruto sighed. "Because I've never used it over such a long distance before, and I'd rather not chance it. I'm still not positive what would happen if I tried transporting someplace when I didn't have the necessary chakra to do so." His eyes became distant. "It's times like this when I wish my dad was here. He'd have the answers I'm looking for – not only about the Hiraishin no Jutsu, but with everything else that's gone on in my life. It would have been nice to grow up having a 'normal' childhood."

Sasuke nodded. "I feel the same way. I often wonder how different things would have been if my parents weren't involved in the coup and Itachi hadn't been forced to kill them. I wouldn't have left the village in search of power, and the whole business with Orochimaru and the Akatsuki would never have happened."

Naruto rubbed his forehead and said, "Yeah. A few months ago Kurama said to me, 'Trying to unravel the mysteries of your past is a fool's errand. There will be many times you'll think about the choices you've made, but understand that the past is nothing more than a weight that rests on your shoulders, and the more you dwell upon it the heavier it gets, making you less capable of living in the present.' Now that I've been married to Hinata for a few months, the statement actually makes more sense."

**_Thank you for giving me credit for that, Naruto._**

_You're welcome, Kurama. I haven't heard from you since the fight with Anubis; is the reason why because you've been enjoying watching my life get turned upside down?_

**_Kurama chuckled. A little bit, yes. However, in my opinion it's been turned around in a positive way. The only downside to what's happened has been your discovery of the pink-haired female's intentions in all of this, and her actions should come as no surprise to you. Neither of us trusted her from the day we returned._**

_Well, that's partially true. After thinking about our 'talk' on the Hokage monument all those years ago, I can honestly say that it wasn't necessarily her actions, but rather the depth of them that surprised me._

They sat in silence once again. After a few minutes Naruto noticed that the rabbits had finished cooking, and he handed one to Sasuke before taking the other for himself. Just as he was about to bite into it, he stopped suddenly and looked at his right hand.

Sasuke noticed the action and asked, "Something wrong, dobe?"

Naruto chuckled. "No, nothing's wrong. It seems that Hinata just read the letter I left for her, and despite my instructions not to contact me unless it was an emergency, she ignored me and did so anyway."

"What did she have to say?"

"Well, she really didn't 'say' anything. The seal doesn't allow me to read her mind; I can only sense her feelings. And based on what I just 'felt', she's telling me that she loves me and she'll miss me while I'm gone." The corners of his mouth turned up in a slight smile, and Naruto stared at the seal on his hand for a couple of seconds. "There. I sent back the same feelings, along with a little bit of disappointment because she ignored my instructions."

Naruto went back to eating his rabbit while Sasuke remained motionless, not eating his and staring into the flames of the campfire.

Sasuke suddenly asked, "What's it like?"

Naruto swallowed what he was eating. "Care to be a little more specific as to the 'it' you're asking about is like?"

Sasuke stopped looking at the fire to stare directly at his new brother. Naruto saw the curious look in his eyes, and it made him pause because it wasn't every day that Sasuke displayed emotions so visibly on his face.

"What's it like having friends?"

Naruto wiped his mouth on his sleeve and said, "That's a strange question. You **have** friends, teme."

Sasuke shook his head. "Not like you do. I mean, most of the villagers seem to like you and you're practically worshipped in Suna. Plus, you're on a first name basis with every one of the Kage, as well as the Daimyo."

"Well, you know it wasn't always like that because of Kurama. Most of the villagers were horrible to me when I was young, and I doubt they would have shed a tear if I left the village or somehow accidentally 'died'. But one day I decided that I'd had enough and that no matter what, I wasn't going to give in to despair, or their hatred. I was going to fight to my last breath to make them acknowledge me." He tilted his head in thought. "Maybe that's where my nindō comes from, and the reason why I never gave up trying to make them my friends." He looked at Sasuke and shrugged. "Maybe that's the reason why I never gave up on you."

There was silence once again as both men continued to eat. After finishing their meal, they threw the remains into the fire and watched the flames dance between them.

Sasuke decided to ask another question. "That seal you both have. How often does Hinata use it to let you know how she feels?"

"More often than I care to admit. It started to become such a distraction when I went on missions that I had to learn how to shut it down if I needed to. Why do you ask?"

Sasuke smirked and said, "No reason – It's just that I can think of quite a few situations where it would come in handy. That seal is like the ultimate lie detector, after all."

"Is this train of thought because of what happened with Sakura the other day at the hospital?"

Sasuke let out a long sigh and rubbed his forehead. "Yes, but it's not the entire reason I'm asking. Look, I might not be the ultimate point of reference when it comes to relationships, but even **I** know that a marriage needs to be built on a foundation of honesty, trust and love. The conversation at the hospital revealed to me that Sakura isn't honest, can't be trusted and apparently never outgrew her fangirl feelings for me from when we were young. It makes me wonder if she truly loves me, or if it's just an obsession."

Naruto shrugged once again. "I wish I had an answer for you about that, but I'm afraid you're asking the wrong person since I have a somewhat…skewed opinion of Sakura. Maybe you can ask Saladin, though – he seems to have a way of helping people find the answers to questions they didn't even know they had."

"That's awfully cryptic, dobe."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "You have no idea, teme. Wait 'till you meet him." He stretched out next to the fire and said, "I'm going to get some sleep, and I'd recommend that you do the same. We've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow, and I'd like to be on the other side of Suna by the time the sun sets."

* * *

Two days later, Naruto and Sasuke appeared in a flash of light at the entrance to a cave, located at the foot of a small mountain range. Even though both men appeared tired and ragged, on the inside they were happy to be at their destination.

Sasuke looked at the opening and said, "This is it? It doesn't seem very…opulent. Or accommodating."

"Saladin has never been one for putting on airs. He believes the simple approach to be best, only taking what he needs and giving the rest to those less fortunate than him." Naruto became serious as he looked at Sasuke and said, "Okay, teme – there's a few rules you need to know before we go inside. First of all, when we're around any other Mienai Segi members you need to use my name within the organization, which is Gabriel. When you get a name, I'll make sure to call you by yours. It's a sign of respect as far as Saladin is concerned, and at all times you will address him as Master. Understand?"

Sasuke nodded and Naruto continued, "Okay, now this is very important. At some point, Saladin is going to ask you a question and you need to make sure that the answer you give isn't associated with a capital vice, such as revenge, power or greed."

"You've made me curious. What happens if I do?"

"Two years ago a water user from the Land of Rivers came to us. Saladin wasn't pleased with the answer he gave so he sealed off the man's chakra, opened up a hole in the earth one thousand feet deep and threw him inside." Naruto shuddered at the memory. "Needless to say, that guy is never coming back."

Sasuke turned pale upon hearing this. "So what's the question I have to answer correctly?"

"I have no idea, because the question is different for everyone. Just make sure your answer isn't something selfish or self-serving, because that will only earn you a swift and painful death. Got it?"

Once again, Sasuke nodded.

"Good, just follow my lead and everything should be fine. Now let's go meet Saladin. It's not a good idea to hover around the entrance, or to keep him waiting."

Naruto strode with purpose into the cave followed closely by Sasuke, who looked around at the surroundings with mild interest. Torches hung on the walls, lighting the tunnel as they walked ever further into the mountain. After a few hundred yards, it opened into a small, sparsely appointed cavern with only the basic necessities that one would need to survive. Along with an area for preparing food, there was also a bed, a couch and several chairs. However, the most important area lay at the back of the cavern, where a man wearing glasses sat behind a desk, intently reading a scroll. Bookshelves lined the cavern walls behind him, stacked with what one could only assume were dozens of scrolls from all over the elemental nations, and perhaps beyond.

As they approached, the man stopped reading and looked up. Sasuke could see that he was of medium build with a neatly trimmed beard, and he wore flowing robes similar to that of the Hyūga clan. As he recognized Naruto, a smile broke out on his face and he rose to greet them.

"Gabriel, it's good to see you again." His voice was quiet and reserved, but also gave the impression of great power and wisdom.

Naruto returned the smile, stopping in front of the desk and bowing low. Unsure of what he should do, Sasuke decided to mirror his friend and stopped next to Naruto, bowing low as well.

"Master. You honor me in your home." Naruto rose, and Sasuke followed suit as Naruto continued to speak. "I have brought a candidate, as well as news of great importance."

Saladin motioned to the seats in front of his desk. "Both of you please sit, so that we may talk of happenings within your lives, as well as this news you bring me."

The three men sat down and Saladin said, "So Gabriel, you sent me a missive several months ago, saying that you must return home without delay to help someone who is precious to you." He steepled his fingers in front of him. "Tell me, were you able to help this person?"

Slightly embarrassed, Naruto placed a hand at the back of his neck and said, "Actually, the answer is yes. However, the tree bore fruit of an unexpected nature." He reached into his pocket and removed a picture, handing it to Saladin. "I married the person who required my help, and this is a picture of her and my son."

Saladin took the photo and examined it. "The woman is quite beautiful – you have done well for yourself, Gabriel. However, I'm a bit confused. You have only been home for a few months, and yet the child in this picture appears to be seven or eight years old. Is he truly your son or do you only consider him as such?"

"No, Master. The child is truly my son. I discovered this fact only recently; details of his birth had been kept secret from me for quite some time, and apparently no effort had been made by those who knew to find me during that period."

"I imagine this came as quite a surprise for you."

"It was as a surprise to many people, Master. I've actually only known the truth a few days and would have preferred to spend additional time with my family, but recent events within my village forced me to make this journey and speak with you."

He handed the photo back to Naruto and said, "Yes, you did say that you bear news of great importance. Please enlighten me as to what it is."

Naruto hesitated for a moment and then said, "Paradise has been lost. There's a snake in the garden."

Sasuke didn't understand one bit of that sentence, but he saw the effect that it had on Saladin. His smile vanished, and the look on his face turned solemn.

"Tell me how you know of this, Gabriel."

Naruto took a deep breath. "Five days ago Anubis and the Minions of Set invaded my village, and personally threatened the life of my wife and son. During the attack, it was revealed that he was hired by Lady Kamira as an act of retribution against me. You may remember her; several years ago the Daimyo of Marsh Country asked us to eliminate her husband after it was determined that he was torturing innocents to satisfy his sick fetishes. There were no specific instructions as to what should be done with her, so in a moment of sympathy I decided that she was merely an unwilling participant and spared her life. It appears that decision came back to haunt me. "

Saladin narrowed his eyes and said, "I remember the mission, as well as your decision to allow Lady Kamira to live. But do not forget that showing mercy to those you believe are innocent – despite what the future may bring – is the true path to strength and enlightenment. However that being said and recent events aside, you know that I would never sanction such an action without cause, and we do not accept requests based solely on greed."

Naruto briefly nodded his head. "I understand this Master, and I hold no ill will towards you. What concerns me though is that during the attack, Anubis mentioned that you are no longer his leader, and he now follows another. He also said that this person promised him power and wealth to satisfy his cravings for lust and greed, and that even a person such as you isn't unassailable."

The look on Saladin's face turned dangerous and he asked, "And where is Anubis now?"

"I decided that the lives of both Anubis and his followers became forfeit once they carried out an unsanctioned attack against my home without cause, and threatened the lives of everyone, especially my friends and family. Based on his actions and intentions, I burned his followers and scattered their ashes across the wind, and then eliminated Anubis using the Unstable Resonance jutsu."

After hearing this, the look on his face softened and Saladin nodded. "A bit extreme perhaps, but justified nonetheless. He became lost once he decided that his hedonistic appetites took precedence over a sense of nobility and morality." The corners of his mouth turned up in a small smile and he said, "But I get the impression that there are other reasons why you have made this journey, Gabriel."

Saladin rose and walked around the desk, placing a hand on Naruto's shoulder. His gaze became fixated on a point somewhere in the distance and after a moment his eyes glossed over, as if he could now perceive something that normally could not be seen.

"Ah. The pain within your heart has healed somewhat, and it has been the love and sacrifice of someone close to you that has brought about this change. You no longer suffer from the emptiness that threatened to consume you these many years." He tilted his head to the side. "And yet, there is still heartache within you, and anger and betrayal echo from the scars that still remain."

The look on Saladin's face became focused once again, and his gaze dropped to stare at Naruto, his eyes seeming to burrow directly into his soul. Sasuke saw this and was immediately reminded of his Sharingan. He knew that right now, the ability to hide the truth from this man didn't exist.

"What are you searching for, Gabriel?"

Naruto didn't even hesitate in answering. "I seek inner peace, Master. I have found the love I sought for many years, through a wife that loves me far more than I deserve, and the discovery of a son I never knew I had. But this knowledge also came with a price, as I learned how far someone I once counted as more than a friend went to keep this hidden from me." Finally able to, Naruto lowered his head and stared at the floor. "I cannot live with this anger, Master. Not only will it affect the relationship I have with my family, but I plan on leading my village someday and I know it will affect other decisions I make. I MUST be objective to lead, and protect my precious people. To do anything else would be a disservice to them all."

After a moment Saladin nodded at this, apparently satisfied with the answer. He then turned his gaze upon Sasuke and asked, "You say this person is a candidate, Gabriel. Who is he to you?"

"He is my brother, Master."

"I find that statement very hard to believe, Gabriel. Neither of you share any physical similarities, and it's apparent that he is from the Uchiha clan, which we both know you are not."

"You misunderstand, Master. He is my brother by choice, not by blood."

"I see." He turned back to Sasuke, and just he had done with Naruto only minutes earlier, Saladin reached out and placed his hand on his shoulder.

Immediately, Sasuke felt the man's aura wash over him, permeating into the farthest corners of his mind and heart. Under normal circumstances, he would consider such an action to be an attack on his person but somehow he got the sense that if he fought back, the resulting collision of their wills would shatter his psyche beyond repair.

"Your past is…turbulent and troubled. You were offered power at great personal cost, which you accepted without reservation, hurting those who cared about you in doing so. You wandered; a solitary figure bent on retribution against others who were responsible for the pain and suffering that befell you. Anger clouded your gaze and darkness gripped your heart." He tilted his head again. "You feel remorse for your past actions, but your soul is stretched between uncertainty and doubt. Recent events have given rise to questions regarding the life you chose, and you wish to make amends to those you have hurt. But for some reason, the path you desire to walk is laced with worry and fear."

He gave Sasuke the same penetrating stare as Naruto. "You wish to join the Mienai Segi, but to what end? What do hope to gain through our training?"

Sasuke hesitated a moment before answering. It wasn't that he was thinking of lying at any point; he reasoned that if he even entertained the thought, Saladin would somehow know and end his life rather painfully. He just wanted to make sure he phrased his answer correctly, because he didn't feel like being eradicated in an instant.

"I hope to find clarity, Master. You are correct; recently I have questioned many of the decisions I've made in my life – both in the past and within the last few days. I've come to realize that there is more to true strength than mere power; there is family, friendship and what my brother says is 'a desire to protect that which is precious to me'. I want to walk the same path he does, but…"

After watching Sasuke trail off, Saladin finished his line of thought. "But you are afraid that if you do, you will lose yourself to the anger and madness that almost overwhelmed you before, which also seems to befall almost everyone in your clan. Correct?"

Sasuke nodded and said, "Yes, Master. It seems to be an unavoidable fate, and I…I don't wish to repeat what happened all those years ago."

Saladin walked back around to the other side of his desk and sat down. "I am well aware of your clan's Kekkei Genkai, and how the power of your eyes is awakened. However, you seem to have been given some misinformation somewhere along the way." He turned and rummaged around in the bookshelves behind him, apparently searching for a something specific.

"Ah, here we are." Saladin said, pulling a very old scroll from the back of one of the shelves and holding it up for everyone to see. "This is a transcription of the stone tablets that are hidden beneath the Uchiha compound in your village."

Sasuke didn't even think to ask how this man was in possession of such information, let alone wonder who could have possibly translated it for him. He reasoned that some questions were best left unanswered.

Saladin carefully unrolled it on his desk until he found a specific section and pointed. "It says here that when an Uchiha knows the loss of love or experiences despair, it turns to hate and produces a change in their eyes – the Sharingan. This makes the person much more powerful, in addition to magnifying the feelings that brought about the change. If that feeling is hatred, then such a person would turn to darkness and evil, and redemption for that individual becomes an almost impossible goal." His finger traveled farther down. "However, it also appears that power can be channeled into something else. If a person experiences strong feelings such as love, happiness or joy those could awaken the Sharingan as well. And if those feelings are bolstered among many people, instead of being confined to a singular individual then it is possible to survive such a loss. These emotions become an overwhelming desire to protect that which is precious to them, while avoiding the descent into despair and darkness."

Sasuke gave Saladin a confused look and asked, "If that's true, then why…why did my clan believe that anger and hatred were the only keys to unlocking the Sharingan?"

Saladin smiled at him and said, "The answer is simple…because it is far easier to hate than to love. Hatred and anger will awaken the Sharingan at an earlier age, allowing the user to attain higher levels of power faster than love and happiness, but in my opinion the price you pay for doing so is rather steep. I'm sure you can personally attest to this fact, having experienced it for yourself."

Sasuke's eyes went wide; as such a simple yet profound statement rocked the foundation of his clan teachings. His gaze rose, and he stared at Saladin in shock upon hearing this revelation.

"I accept your candidacy to join the Mienai Segi, young Uchiha. Your training will begin tomorrow at dawn, however it has yet to be determined if you will survive the experience." Saladin turned to Naruto. "Gabriel, please show your brother to one of the bedrooms so that he can settle in, and then return to me here. I believe we still have much more to discuss before we gather for dinner."

* * *

**_***Time Skip – 8 days after leaving***_**

_Knock, knock, knock._

"Hikaru, could you get the door for me?" A voice called from the kitchen. "I'm getting lunch ready for us."

"I'm changing my clothes, Mom!" Came a voice from upstairs. "But if you've got no problem with me answering it naked, then…"

"No! Stay upstairs and finish changing!" And then under her breath she mumbled, "Besides, I don't want to scare off whoever it might be, and have the ANBU show up at my house later asking why my naked son is greeting our visitors."

Hinata wiped her hands clean and walked to the entryway, opening the door to greet whoever it was that had knocked. However, the words caught in her throat as she was startled to see someone that she never would have expected to visit her house. **_Ever._**

"F…Father? What…What are you doing here?"

Hiashi stood there, his hands clasped behind his back and his robes looking freshly pressed. As always, his posture was rigid and he wore a serious look, but today there was another emotion on his face that Hinata was having a hard time identifying.

"Hello, Hinata. I realize that I am showing up unannounced, but I was wondering if you could spare some time to meet with me. May I come in?"

Stunned that her father had left the estate and was actually standing in her entryway, Hinata stared at him in disbelief for a few seconds before her mind snapped back to reality. She stepped aside and motioned for him to enter, closing the door behind him as he did so.

Hiashi slowly walked further inside the house, his eyes glancing around and taking in his surroundings. He lingered over various parts, such as the stone fireplace and enclosed porch, before proceeding into the large kitchen. "This place appears to be very unlike the compound; the overall impression is one that is…warm and inviting. Was this his intention when Naruto decided to decorate it?"

"Actually father, I was the one who decorated the house and Naruto-kun had no part in it. When he showed it to me the day before we were married, he gave me permission to decorate the house any way I saw fit and his only wish was that I made sure it looked and felt nothing like the compound. He wanted a comforting environment for Hikaru to grow up in."

Hiashi nodded, acknowledging her response and then asked, "And the kitchen? Was it also his intention to make this room so large?"

"Yes, father. Naruto-kun remembered that I liked to cook, so he made sure that the kitchen was built to exact specifications. He wanted to make sure I had everything I would ever need."

"I see. Then I would say that Naruto has fulfilled his vow to ensure your happiness, and you have done well with the task he gave to you."

_Was…Was that a compliment? She thought to herself. Did he just say something nice to me for once?_

"Thank…Thank you, father. But I'm sure you didn't come here today to finally look at our house. Was there something else you needed?"

He sighed, and a bit of his rigid posture seemed to disappear from his body as he did so. "Actually, yes – there is something else I would like to discuss with you." He gestured to the kitchen table and asked, "Could we sit down, and perhaps talk for a while?"

Still wondering what his motives for being here were, she nodded and said, "I can make us some tea, if you like. I only have Oolong or Jasmine at the moment; will either one of those be acceptable?"

"Jasmine tea would be fine, thank you."

While the conversation in the kitchen played out, Hikaru crept further down the stairs to continue to listen. He was worried about what Hiashi was going to say to his mother; during the entire time they had lived at the compound he couldn't remember one encouraging word Hiashi had said to his mother about anything she did. His personality had always been stern and unapproachable, and Hikaru was expecting more of the same during his visit today, despite the compliment he'd just overheard. Hikaru swore that if Hiashi made his mother cry today, he'd find endless ways of making his life as miserable as possible.

Back downstairs, Hinata had just finished making a pot of Jasmine tea and brought it over to the table, pouring a cup for both herself and Hiashi and then sitting down. Hinata watched as her father sipped his tea in silence, staring at it while his hands fidgeted with the cup.

As a Hyūga, she was trained to identify another person's body language but even without her Byakugan, she could tell that her father was clearly uncomfortable with whatever he wished to talk with her about.

"Hinata, I came to see you today because I wanted to discuss what Neji discovered last week. You know what subject I'm referring to, correct?"

She blanched and said, "Yes, father. Nii-san was outside the hospital room when Naruto-kun questioned both Sakura and me about the truth regarding Hikaru. He heard everything that was said between the three of us."

Hiashi nodded. "I've had some time to think about what I learned, and despite what Neji told me I haven't been able to wrap my head around some parts of it. I thought coming to you for answers to my questions would be the best course of action, since now that the secret has been made public there is no further reason to lie to me. I do not demand this as head of the clan, but rather ask for this as your father."

_This conversation is taking a strange turn, Hinata thought. This is a side of father that I've never seen; he seems very unsure of himself and for once, he's acting like a concerned parent instead of being harsh, overbearing and critical. I wonder why._

"I understand, and I'll do my best to answer your questions. What would you like to ask of me?"

Hiashi hesitated a moment before asking, "As Neji informed me, you accepted the offer of caring for Hikaru from Sakura Uchiha under conditions of extreme secrecy. What I would like to know is why you insisted on keeping such a ridiculous promise, rather than informing the clan of the truth of the matter."

Hinata blinked a few times at the question. It hadn't been something she'd been particularly proud of, but the answer to this was relatively simple.

"Because I made a promise not to reveal the secret, father. And just like Naruto-kun, my nindō is that I never break a promise and I never go back on my word. I will say however, that since learning of some additional information where Sakura is concerned, I've come to regret some of my choices in the matter now that I know her true motives behind it all, and the pain she caused my husband as a result of her actions. But at the time I felt I had no other option in order to be able to adopt Hikaru."

"And that is something else that puzzles me, daughter. You knew full well that returning with a child, without revealing the knowledge of his conception would tarnish your reputation within the village, as well as cause you to be disowned by the clan. I'm having a hard time understanding why you would do such a thing."

Hinata smiled and said, "Because of Naruto-kun. As I'm sure Nii-san told you, I remember the stories Naruto-kun told me of when he was young and living in the orphanage. To say that he was treated horribly would only be an understatement, and even though I had no doubt that no one could possibly be subjected to the same treatment Naruto-kun had been, I held no illusions that life for Hikaru would have been difficult and that he should have an opportunity to know who his father is." Her smile vanished, and her gaze dropped as she finished, "It was only my cowardice up until now that kept me from revealing the truth to my husband, but thank Kami both he and Hikaru have forgiven me for my negligence."

Hiashi stared at her incredulously. "So despite it all, you were willing to sacrifice everything in your life, as well as your future for the sake of one child? Do you actually love Naruto that much?"

Hinata didn't even hesitate to answer. "Always, father. Before he was the savior of the shinobi world…Before he was the Hero of the Leaf…Before he was the one who defeated Pain, when an entire village couldn't bring the Akatsuki member down…I loved him more than anything, and despite the manipulations of both you and Neji with my life I couldn't be happier in the way things turned out. Naruto-kun is my one true love, and I'd gladly give my life for him. I'd have thought my actions during the fight with Pain would have convinced you of that."

Hiashi sipped his tea again as he thought about what Hinata just said. She watched him struggle with whatever he planned to say next, but when the silence finally broke, he continued to stare at his tea as the words unexpectedly came rushing forth.

"Hinata, I have to say that I still fail to understand the reasons behind your decision to take care of Hikaru, but perhaps this is because for the life of me, I cannot fully comprehend the depth of your love for Naruto. You may not believe so, but the only comparison I can make that even comes close would be how I feel about you and Hanabi. I won't deny that my past actions regarding the two of you have been rather unjust and more often than not, I've taken the position of what's in the best interest of the clan over what's best for this family. But setting that aside, it doesn't change how I feel about what you've done, as well as what I have inadvertently put you through."

"While I am a proud man, and very rarely if ever do I believe I am wrong, in this case the proof is irrefutable. You have suffered at the hands of the villagers and our clan, enduring eight years of unnecessary emotional torture and callous treatment based on unfounded assumptions and lies – even though the prison was mostly of your own design for accepting the onerous conditions of the Uchiha woman. However, even I can see the tremendous amount of courage and strength it took to accept such a burden, knowing full well what the eventual price would be."

"The most interesting thing to me in all of this has been the discovery that these qualities only seem to manifest themselves when Naruto is involved. Apparently, he brings about the greatest and most positive change within you, and I know the reason why I never noticed this before was through my own disinterested attitude regarding your life. He truly is the foundation of your strength."

Hiashi raised his head to stare at Hinata, and what she saw in his gaze set her back at bit, as his eyes appeared haunted and lost. As far back as she could remember, there was only one other time she could think of when her father had looked like this, and that had been when her mother died.

"Your actions in hiding the truth regarding Hikaru and his parentage were wrong, but I realize that you did so to protect the son of the man you love, and not out of spite or to inflict shame upon our clan." He bowed his head. "You have been treated unfairly, not only by our clan but especially by me. I offer an apology for my actions, and I hope you can forgive me."

Hinata was shocked – she had just witnessed an event so rare that most clan members couldn't remember ever having seen one before – an apology from Hiashi Hyūga. She could tell by the look in his eyes that the apology was sincere, and perhaps extending an olive branch of peace might help improve things going forward, but she wasn't about to give in to the rest of his request so easily.

She walked around the table, forcing her father to stand and then enveloped him in a gentle hug. Hiashi awkwardly hugged her back, clearly unsure of what to do at her show of emotion.

"Thank you for saying that, father. You have no idea how much those words mean to me, as all I've ever wanted is for you to acknowledge me and see me as anything other than an embarrassment. I want you to know that I accept your apology, but I'm not quite ready to forgive you just yet. I believe this is something that you should continue to work on going forward."

"What exactly do you mean by that?"

"I mean that if you wish to make amends for your actions and earn my forgiveness, I'd like for you to spend some time with Hikaru and prove to me that you are truly sorry, rather than give the impression that you are apologizing only because you are uncomfortable with your feelings of guilt." The look on her face became one of sadness. "I've already been down this road with Naruto-kun over not telling him that he was Hikaru's father in the first place, and even though he says he's forgiven me I'll still do whatever it takes to once again earn his trust."

"Hinata, I hold no ill will towards the boy but you need to understand that he is not Hyūga. You did not give birth to him. He is not truly your son."

She pressed her lips together and gave him a hard stare. "I beg to differ, father. As far as Naruto-kun and Hikaru are concerned, I am his mother and not Sakura, who was eager to give him up to an orphanage in Suna at her first opportunity. I have given eight years of love, care and devotion towards raising him, and if for no other reason than that I have earned the right to be called his mother. He is OUR son, father – mine and Naruto-kun's. And you need to start thinking of him as such."

Hiashi looked off to the side, deep in thought about the words Hinata had just spoken to him. After a minute, he turned his gaze back to her and said, "I appreciate your honesty, Hinata. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to speak with you. I will take my leave now so that I may think upon your words."

Hinata nodded and politely showed her father to the door, closing it behind him. She rested her head against it and sighed; feeling happy that her father had finally acknowledged her in some way and apologized for his actions, but at the same time frustrated that he couldn't see Hikaru as her son. Even though she didn't want to make excuses for him, she knew that this was a long seeded Hyūga belief that those who did not possess the Byakugan or were born outside the clan were never truly considered to be part of the family. It was going to take some time for him to accept it, but she wasn't going to forgive him until he did.

"Hikaru!" Hinata called out. "Your ojii-san is gone. Come downstairs for lunch, please!"

She waited for a response, but nothing ever came. Concerned, she began to walk up the stairs and asked, "Hikaru? Are you okay, sweetie?"

More silence. Hinata was starting to get worried; could Hikaru have possibly overheard their conversation in the kitchen? She knocked on his door and opened it, only to find that Hikaru wasn't in his room and the window had been thrown wide open. He was obviously gone, and she could only assume it was because of what her father said. She turned around, ready to run out and search for him when she noticed a hastily scribbled note pinned to the back of his door which said:

*:*

_Mom,_

_I needed some time to clear my head. I promise I'll be back later; please eat lunch without me._

_Hikaru_

*:*

Not panicking anymore but certainly still worried about her son, she wondered where he'd run off to and when he would be back. More than likely he'd gone to one of the training grounds to work on his skills; he'd done this quite often over the last few years when he was frustrated or upset, and she knew he would be back once he'd blown off some steam and settled down.

* * *

_Knock, knock, knock._

Konohamaru opened the door to his house, fully expecting Neji to be standing there. However, much to his surprise that wasn't the case.

"Hikaru? What are you doing here?"

"Hey, Uncle Kono. Is Aunt Hanabi here?"

"No, she isn't. Tenten is at the hospital getting a checkup, and Hanabi went with her."

"When is she gonna be back?"

"Probably not for a few hours. If whatever you need to talk to her about is that important, you're more than welcome to wait here until she gets back."

"No, that's okay because I'm really here to talk to you, and I can't do it with Aunt Hanabi around. Can I come in?"

"Umm, sure." Konohamaru watched Hikaru walk into the house, his mind still wondering what he was doing here and why Hinata wasn't with him.

"Now, what do you need to talk with me about, that's apparently so secretive your Aunt can't be around to hear it?"

Hikaru crossed his arms in front of his chest. "A couple of weeks ago when I was talking with the old lady, she told me that you were my Dad's unofficial top student when you guys were younger. Is that right?"

"That's correct, but when you say 'old lady' who are you referring to?"

"That Sannin lady with the big chest – Tsunade. Who else would I be talking about?"

Konohamaru smiled, struggling to keep himself from laughing. _Old lady,_ he thought. _A bit disrespectful, but still accurate and funny nonetheless._ "Is there any reason why you're asking me this?"

"Did he also teach you all of his old pranks that he used to pull?"

He blinked a few times and hesitantly answered, "Yeah, he did. I got pretty good at them too, but your dad is still the reigning champion of the village by far. You're just an amateur compared to him. But I'd still like to know why you're asking me about this."

Hikaru then proceeded to tell Konohamaru about the conversation at the house between his mother and Hiashi, and how it ended with Hiashi saying that he didn't consider Hikaru to truly be Hinata's son only because she didn't give birth to him.

"So he basically apologized for what he did over the last eight years, but he still won't consider my mom to be…well, my mom. I'm not going to let something like that slide, so going to prank him until he changes his mind about me, and I want to do it EXACTLY like my Dad would have done it. Now, is this something you wanna help me out with…**_boss?_**"

Konohamaru grinned evilly and rubbed his hands together. "Kid, you just said the magic words. I'd love to help you make Hiashi's life miserable after everything he put me, Hanabi and your mother through. But you have to promise that no matter what, you'll never reveal that I'm your sensei because I'm positive that if she ever found out, your Aunt Hanabi would jyuuken various parts of my body that I happen to like very much."

"Various parts like what?"

"Never mind; you'll find out when you're older. Now before we get to the list of some of your father's more creative pranks, there's one particular technique I need to teach you that ties them all together, and it's called the **_Sexy no Jutsu…"_**

* * *

**_***Time Skip – 32 days after leaving***_**

Kotetsu Hagane and Izumo Kamizuki sat at the front gate of Konoha, in their usual capacity of guard duty. More often than not, their job was filled with long stretches of boredom and inactivity and lately, the weather hadn't been very cooperative either. A cold front had blown through the village, which in addition to making them feel more miserable, sent a chill throughout their bodies that made the days seem to last forever.

However, today offered a brief moment of respite as the morning was sunny and warm for a change, and it had been unusually quiet. Short of a troop of beautiful women walking through the gate and throwing themselves on the two men, they wondered how this day could possibly get any better.

It was at that point a woman walked through the front gate, accompanied by a small child. She was a bit taller than average; sporting long black hair that fell to the middle of her back between her shoulder blades, while two additional braids of hair framed her face. Her skin was fair; certainly not as pale as those from the Hyūga clan but still lighter than most, and while her figure sported feminine curves, she walked with a surety that Kotetsu and Izumo immediately identified as that of a highly skilled kunoichi.

The child appeared to be a girl around four or five years of age, approximately three feet tall with blonde hair that framed her face, stopping just below her chin. Her eyes were sapphire blue, and they shifted rapidly from side to side as she clutched the hand of the older woman.

Kotetsu and Izumo sat entranced as the woman walked up to the desk, her jade green eyes staring at the two of them. Her gaze clearly reflected confidence, and an aura of power.

_Long story short: they both knew this was a woman who was not to be fucked with._

"Good morning, and welcome to Konoha." Kotetsu said to her. "Please state your name and the nature of your visit."

"My name is Freyja." She responded. "And I'm simply here to visit someone."

_Strange name,_ the two gatekeepers thought to themselves. Izumo looked down at the girl clinging to her side and smiled. "Hello there! My name is Izumo Kamizuki, what's yours?"

The girl shyly looked up at Freyja, as if she was asking for permission to speak. Freyja nodded back and said, "Go ahead, sweetheart. He's just trying to be nice."

Her gaze shifted back to Izumo and she hesitantly answered, "I'm…I'm Reira."

"Reira, huh? That's a pretty name. I'll bet you're hungry; did you and your mom travel a long distance to get here?"

She nodded. "Yes…Yes sir, we did."

"Well, maybe I can direct you both to some nice places to eat once we're through." His gaze turned back to Freyja and he asked, "Is the purpose of your visit personal or business?"

Her face became impassive as she answered, "A little of both, actually."

"Ah, I see. You did say that you're here to visit someone, and my associate Kotetsu and I happen to know many people in the village. If you tell us this person's name, perhaps we can assist you by giving directions to their home."

"It's actually a 'he'. And his name is Gabriel."

"Gabriel." The two men looked at each other for a moment, and then Kotetsu answered, "I'm sorry, but we don't know anyone in the village by that name. Perhaps you could describe what he looks like for us? Does he have any distinguishing features?"

"Well, he's a little over six feet tall, with spiky blond hair and blue eyes. Oh, and he has three very faint marks on each one of his cheeks. If you ask me, they look a lot like whiskers."

That sealed it for the two men. A little over a month ago, right after the village had been attacked the Hokage had given them specific orders to keep an eye out for anyone else coming into the village using a strange name. And in addition to that, if they came looking for Naruto…

Izumo pressed a button under his desk, and within seconds the two visitors were surrounded by twenty ANBU. Frejya backed against the wall, placing Reira protectively behind her while she stared at the gatekeepers with hatred and contempt.

Kotetsu frowned and said, "I apologize for this, but we have orders from the Hokage on what actions to take if this situation presented itself. If you give me your word to cooperate fully, I promise you'll be treated fairly and no harm will come to either you or your daughter. Is this acceptable?"

Freyja thought about it; taking on twenty elite soldiers normally wouldn't be a problem but having to protect her daughter as well would make things far more difficult. She decided that taking the offer would be the best course of action at the moment, and nodded in agreement.

Kotetsu looked at the group of ANBU and shouted, "Captain!"

A man with a Tiger mask stepped forward.

"Escort these two visitors to I.D. with the utmost care, and place them in an interrogation room on sub-level D. Please make sure you feed them; the little girl said they've traveled a long way and they're both bound to be hungry." He glanced at Reira and smiled, hoping to reduce the tension in the air and put both of them more at ease. "Also, please send one of your men to tell the Hokage that 'someone special came looking for the fox', and where our guests are being held. Understand?"

Tiger nodded and dispatched one of the ANBU members to go see the Hokage, then proceeded to lead the rest of the group as they 'escorted' Freyja and Reira to the Interrogation Division. He wondered exactly what was going on, as sub-level D had the strongest chakra suppression seals and these two didn't look like they presented much of a threat. However, he also knew looks could be deceiving and if the Hokage wanted to be informed about this personally, then whatever this was about went far above his pay grade.

At that point, he decided ignorance was bliss and dropped his line of thought, before the Hokage put him on permanent duty assisting Lady Sakura until Sasuke Uchiha returned to the village.

* * *

"Which room are they in?"

Tiger pointed. "They're in Interrogation Room A eating lunch, Lord Hokage. I purchased food for the two of them as instructed."

"Good. Anything else I should know before I go in?"

Tiger shook his head. "I wasn't given any additional information from Kotetsu and Izumo, just the message and where to bring them."

"Thank you. I'll take it from here."

As Kakashi opened the door and stepped into the room, he noticed a small child with blonde hair slurping noodles from what appeared to be a bowl of Shoyu ramen, before his eye settled on to the other person sitting at the table.

One look, and Kakashi was frozen in place. Her beauty struck him full force; her long, ebony hair framed her perfectly curved face and contrasted starkly with her fair skin, giving her an exotic appeal. As far as clothing was concerned, she wore a beige overcoat with mid-length sleeves over a chainmail shirt, similar to what Anko Mitarashi used to wear. He was unsure what she wore from the waist down, but he was suddenly curious and for once, it wasn't from his more perverted tendencies.

All in all, Kakashi thought that she was one of the most beautiful women he'd ever seen.

The woman continued to eat her lunch without missing a beat. She either didn't care or wasn't worried about who had just walked into the room, which made her either mentally unstable or highly dangerous, and based on her name and who she had come looking for, Kakashi decided to go with the second option.

"Are you gonna stand there all day and stare at me, or is there something you actually wanted?"

The words broke Kakashi out of his stupor, and he shook his head to clear his thoughts in an attempt to refocus. However, through no actions of her own the woman was making it difficult for him to concentrate simply by sitting there.

He closed the door and sat down across from her at the table, at which point she raised her head to stare at him. The gaze from her jade green eyes sent a shiver down his spine, both from excitement and from fear.

_Get a grip, Kakashi! He thought to himself. You're the Hokage, for Kami's sake! Man up and start acting the part, instead of like a lovesick moron!_

"HeLLo, mY…" He said in a falsetto voice. Embarrassed at his nervousness, he cleared his throat a few times and tried again. "Hello, my name is Kakashi Hatake, and I'm the Hokage of Konoha. I apologize for the inconvenience, but we've had to take security precautions like this because of some recent events in our village."

Freyja raised an eyebrow. "I'm just an innocent woman traveling with her daughter, here to see a friend. I don't see how either of us could be a threat to you, so there's no reason we should have been arrested in the first place."

Kakashi sighed and pulled a paper seal out of his pocket, setting it on the table. He placed his hand over it and pushed some chakra into the seal, causing the symbols to spread throughout the room.

"What the heck did you just do?"

"Privacy seals. Now no one can hear or see anything that happens in this room."

"Is that so?" Her eyes took on a dangerous glint and she asked, "You plan on taking advantage of me? Because it's gonna take more than the chakra suppression seals you got on this room to keep me down."

Kakashi's eye went wide. "What? No! No, that's not what I planned at all. I just…" He took a deep breath in order to calm himself down. "Okay, I can tell by the tone of your voice that you prefer a direct approach, so how about this – I know that you're Mienai Segi."

"I don't know what you're talking about. What's the Mienai Segi?"

"Save the act for someone who's not an idiot. I'm one of only two people in this village right now who know about your organization, and you showed up at my front gate with an unusual name asking for Gabriel, which in and of itself tells me who you are." He narrowed his eye at her. "So let's try this again. My name is Kakashi Hatake, and I'm the Hokage of Konoha. What's your name?"

She gave him a hard stare as she thought his request over. After a solid minute of listening to nothing but the slurping sound of her daughter eating ramen, she relented and said, "Freyja. My name is Freyja."

"See? That wasn't so hard, was it?" Kakashi turned to the little girl. "Can I ask what your name is?"

The girl stopped eating and raised her head to look at Kakashi. She swallowed her food and used her sleeve to wipe her mouth before saying, "It's…It's Reira, mister Hokage person."

_His breath caught in his throat as he stared at her. With the exception of her hair and eye color, she looks just like Rin. He thought. Although the blond hair and blue eyes remind me of…_

"Where is he?"

Kakashi turned back to look at Freyja again. "I'm sorry, what was that?"

"Where is he? Where's Gabriel?"

"He left the village about a month ago to visit Saladin, and he took one of my strongest ninja with him as a candidate."

The dangerous glint finally left her eyes, and her gaze turned into merely a hard stare. "Why did Gabriel leave to visit Saladin?"

Kakashi sighed. "About a month ago the one you call Anubis attacked our village, and he did so because someone hired him to do it outside of the normal channels. Gabriel felt that Saladin should know about this."

"What happened to Anubis?"

"Gabriel killed him with some sort of sound jutsu. There wasn't much left of him afterwards."

After a few moments, Freyja closed her eyes and sighed. "Great. That's just great. He's already started to move."

"What's started to move? Who are you talking about?"

She opened her eyes and said, "I can't tell you."

Kakashi stared back at her. "I don't think I heard you correctly – did you just say you couldn't tell me?"

"That's right."

"Care to explain why, exactly?"

"Because **Hokage-sama,** you're not Mienai Segi. You might know a little bit about our organization, but you don't know everything. The only way I can talk with you is if Gabriel is here, so how about you just tell me when he's due back in the village?"

"I would guess in about a month or so."

"That's just fine; you can keep me here until Gabriel gets back. But do me a favor and find someplace nice for Reira to stay until then. I don't want her confined to a prison."

"NO!" Reira yelled. "No, Mom! I wanna stay with you! I don't wanna go!"

Freyja looked at her daughter with sadness and said, "Reira, sweetie I can't…"

"NO!" She yelled again, latching onto her mother's arm. "I'm not gonna leave you, Mom!"

Kakashi watched the interaction between Freyja and Reira, wondering if there was a way out of this. He certainly didn't want the girl to spend a month in prison with her mother, but the fact was that Freyja was Mienai Segi and he couldn't just up and let her leave…Although, it was obvious that she didn't come here to attack the village or Naruto, because if that were the case she wouldn't have brought her daughter in the first place.

Suddenly an idea came to mind. He raised his voice and asked Freyja, "I may have a solution to your problem. Would you listen to me if I offered you a deal?"

Freyja calmed her daughter down and looked at Kakashi warily. "What kind of a deal?"

"Swear to me on the life of your daughter that while you are in Konoha you won't attack, fight, maim or otherwise try to kill any of the villagers. You also promise not to go snooping around or attempt any type of subterfuge, relegating both yourself and Reira to prominent public areas. One training ground within the borders of the village will be provided for your use if you choose to utilize it. If you find these conditions acceptable, then I'll…I'll allow you to remain out of prison until Gabriel gets back."

"What about in the case of self-defense?"

"That won't be a problem, because I'm going to have my ANBU watching you 'round the clock. I'm quite sure they can take care of any problems that might arise. I didn't get to be Hokage by being stupid."

She narrowed her gaze at him and asked, "Why are you being so generous to me? For all you know, I came here to attack your village just like Anubis did."

Kakashi shook his head. "No, I don't think so. If that were true, you wouldn't have brought your daughter with you in the first place because she would only be a liability. And besides…" He looked at Reira and eye smiled. "…even though you offered to spend a month or so in prison, your daughter seems very attached to you. I wouldn't want to be responsible for keeping the two of you apart the entire time. So how about it? Do you accept my offer?"

Freyja thought about it. It WOULD be nice to spend the month waiting for Gabriel outside of prison, and this way she'd still be able to take care of Reira. The only downside was that she was giving up a portion of her privacy and the option of defending herself, but if she were to believe the Hokage's word he would make sure both of them were watched and well protected.

He was asking for a leap of faith and an extension of trust on both their parts, and Freyja reasoned that there was more potential upside than downside for her in this deal.

She nodded and said, "Fine. I swear on the life of my daughter and as a member of the Mienai Segi that I'll be on my best behavior until Gabriel returns and I've had the opportunity to talk with him."

Kakashi nodded. "Thank you. Please finish your lunch; I'll be back in a few minutes." He stood up and left the room, leaving the privacy seals in place. Once outside, he motioned to the ANBU waiting there and said, "Send someone to find Hinata Namikaze and have her brought here immediately. If she asks why, tell her I requested it and give no explanation. Understood?"

The ANBU nodded and disappeared in a swirl of leaves, while Kakashi waited outside the room for her to arrive. He hoped Hinata would be understanding about this, but if not perhaps he could offer her a bit of an incentive to do so.

* * *

Hinata arrived at I.D. about ten minutes later and was immediately escorted down to sub-level D where Kakashi was waiting for her. She walked up to him and asked, "Kakashi-sensei, what's going on? We're supposed to meet in about an hour for training; why are we here?"

"I'm sorry Hinata, but training is cancelled for today. Something more important has come up and I need your help."

She raised her eyebrows and asked, "You need **my** help? Why me?"

"You'll understand in a minute. Follow me."

He opened the door to the interrogation room and they both stepped inside. Apparently, in the ten minutes it had taken Hinata to arrive they had finished their lunch and Freyja had placed Reira in her lap, with her arms wrapped around her daughter protectively.

Freyja looked up at the sound of the door opening, and watched the two of them walk into the room. Wondering who the new arrival was, she glanced towards Kakashi and asked, "Who's she?"

"Freyja, I would like to introduce Hinata Namikaze. She's married to Naruto and is the only other person in the village who knows about your organization. Hinata, this is Freyja and the little girl in her lap is called Reira. Freyja is a member of the Mienai Segi."

Freyja asked, "Who the heck is Naruto?"

Kakashi gave her a confused look for a moment and then said, "Oh, sorry. I forgot to tell you that Gabriel's real name is Naruto."

She raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Naruto? As in, Naruto Uzumaki? That guy who saved everyone in the fourth shinobi war?" When Kakashi nodded, she chuckled and said, "Heh. That actually explains a lot."

Kakashi was about to ask what she meant, but then decided against it since he probably wouldn't get an answer anyway. He turned back to Hinata and noticed that she was staring at Freyja and her daughter, with a blank expression on her face which was very unlike her normal demeanor.

He decided to get right to the point. "Hinata, I called you here because we have a delicate situation which requires the utmost secrecy. Freyja traveled a long way to come to our village and speak with Naruto, but as you know he's out of the village right now and won't be back for another month or so. Whatever she has to speak with him about deals with the Mienai Segi, and apparently the only person she can reveal this information to is another member of the organization."

"Since Reira expressed her displeasure – and rather loudly I might add – at being separated from her mother that leaves me with two options. One, I can leave the two of them in prison until Naruto gets back which is not an option I'm very fond of. Or two, I can have them stay with someone in the village until then. In order to do that however, this person would have to know that she is a member of the Mienai Segi and keep that knowledge confidential."

"You're the only person in the village right now besides me that knows about the Mienai Segi, and you've kept this information a secret since you learned about it from Naruto five months ago, which means you can be trusted. Also, you have plenty of room in your house to accommodate the two of them for the next month or so. And as an extra incentive, if you agree to this I'll consider you taking care of them a B-rank mission and pay you accordingly, pulling you from all future D-rank mission requests until Naruto gets back."

"So what do you say, Hinata? Will you help out Freyja and her daughter by providing them with a place to stay until then?"

Hinata was silent for a few more seconds and then a slight smile appeared on her face, but Kakashi could tell immediately that it wasn't completely genuine. There was a slight bit of warmth behind it, but there was also something else…

"I would be happy to accommodate both Freyja and Reira for the next few weeks until Naruto-kun returns. I don't think he would forgive me if I allowed them to remain in prison, while I had the opportunity and means to allow otherwise."

Freyja stared at her curiously and her cautious Mienai Segi mentality kicked in, as she wondered if she was hiding some ulterior motive. After studying her for a few moments she decided against it; she seemed genuinely nice, plus there was the fact that Gabriel trusted this woman enough to marry her, so…

"Thanks. It'll be nice to sleep someplace with a bed and a shower for a change."

As Freyja stood up, Kakashi finally got to see what she was wearing from the waist down, which was a pair of knee-length black pants that hugged her figure rather suggestively, and a simple pair of sandals. As Kakashi watched her walk across the room a question suddenly popped into his mind and he asked, "Where are your tattoos?"

She stopped and looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "What was that?"

"Your tattoos. I was wondering where they are." He pointed at her forearms. "Gabriel has them, but either you don't or I'm missing something important."

"My tattoos are in a different place. That's why you can't see them."

"Would you be able to show them to me?"

Freyja shook her head. "Sorry. The only way you're ever going to see them is if you beat me in a fight. Other than that, you can just keep dreaming about where they are."

He did just that, quickly looking her over. "Has…Has there ever been anyone that's seen them?"

She smirked and looked him over as well before she answered, "Only two men besides Saladin have ever seen them."

"If you don't mind me asking, who might these two men be?"

"The first person is Gabriel – the one you call Naruto Uzumaki."

Kakashi nodded. "And the second?"

Her smirk vanished and she said, "He's the reason why I'm here in the first place."

* * *

A/N: And there you have it! When I wrote this, it didn't seem like a lot is happening and I struggled with parts, but my beta said that's what happens sometimes in stories. I've seen this with other author's works, and even though I enjoy what they write it still frustrates me because I just want to get to the end (cue the smallest violin in the world playing just for me).

So now we know what's going on with Kakashi, we got to meet Saladin and Konohamaru is going to help Hikaru become the great prankster we all know he can be. Hiashi needs to keep his wits about him. And we also got to see some interaction between Naruto and Sasuke. Hopefully this gives some hints about things to come.

**_A bit of information:_** The name Reira is a reference to fellow author **ReiraKurenai**. I really liked the name and asked her permission to use it for a character within my story. She was very flattered, and gave me her blessing to do so. I've recommended her works in a previous chapter, but if you haven't done so yet head over and check them out. She's a very good writer.

**_Recommendation time!_** Okay, here's the thing – there are plenty of great writers on this site for NaruHina – **Kingkakashi, Brown Phantom, Third Fang** and **Hektols** to name a few – but on occasion, I like to give a shout out to the little guy. Someone who's story is pretty good but needs a little traction, whether it be in the form of favorite/following a story or reviewing it. A lot of you who read stories on this site don't know how good those numbers going up make those of us who write really feel, and I'm glad that so many of you like my work. If I could hit numbers like **Kingkakashi** or **Third Fang**, I'd be in heaven. (By the way, those two authors just recently updated their stories. If you haven't checked them out by now you don't know what you're missing).

So if you get the chance, head over and check out **Path to the Future by OGAFazer89AC**. It uses some OC of his own design (they are related to Naruto) and it ties in nicely with some NaruHina moments which occur after the fourth shinobi war. Considering the fact that the author is from Italy, I'm very impressed with his story and it's translated and beta'd by another great author, **Codaram**. So do yourself a favor and check it out, and if you read the story and like it, put it on your favorite/follow list and leave a review. I'm sure the author will appreciate the support and frankly, he deserves it. His numbers are far too small for such a great piece of work.

Here's the link, as usual remove the spaces and you know what to replace the stars with:

www . fanfiction . *** / s / 8370558

**_IMPORTANT POLL!_** Okay, my last one didn't work out so well but this one is extremely important for the story. I have two options for when Naruto gets back from his training; the first is a long, hot and steamy lemon scene with Hinata. The second option is that I advance the plot and don't bother with the lemon scene at all (I'm not kidding around when I say that the input from my readers helps me write the story).

So head on over to my profile and vote; if you have no idea what to do then just click on my name at the top of this page and you'll be redirected over there…the poll will be right at the top. And with as many people as I have as favorites and following this story, the numbers for this one should be massive. For the love of Kami, please take ten seconds out of your life to do this. **DON'T FORGET TO VOTE!**

So what's coming up? The next chapter will finish off the second month before Naruto and Sasuke return home. There will be shocks and surprises dealing with Hinata, Hikaru, Sakura, Ino, Konohamaru, Hanabi and Tenten. And just for fun, a small twist for Naruto when he gets back (other than the lemon scene which may or may not happen depending on the poll).

Regarding reviews, I have to say that I'm probably not going to give myself a deadline on releasing a chapter ever again. My OCD kicked in and it gave me many sleepless nights thinking I might disappoint my readers, but I will say that I have about 1/3 of the next chapter already done. So let's set the bar high again and see if we can hit 850 on the review count…but even if we don't, please remember that leaving reviews may be the best way to let me know you appreciate my work and it would be a great belated Christmas present/ring in the New Year to me as well. And remember, the more reviews you leave then the faster I push out the next chapter - hint hint nudge nudge. It's in your hands, my fellow readers!

That's all for now. Take care and stay safe.

Serious Sam


	19. Ch 18: Second Month

18\. Second Month

**_All you really need to know for the moment is that the universe is a lot more complicated than you might think, even if you start from a position of thinking it's pretty damn complicated in the first place. – Douglas Adams, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy_**

So here we are at Chapter 18, finishing up the two months that Naruto and Sasuke are away from the village. I apologize about taking so long to release this chapter, but work got in the way, and then life reared its ugly head – five family deaths in five weeks. Ugh. It's enough to make you question the sanity of the universe sometimes…hence the quote at the beginning.

As always, I would like to mention fellow author **Titokhan** for helping me out, as well as my anonymous beta for his continued efforts and support. They give me confidence and make my job more enjoyable by supporting me, especially when life throws you a curve ball. Thanks a bunch, and I appreciate everything you guys do for me.

Also, I had quite a few readers send me a PM asking me if I plan on making this story a Naruto harem. Let me put those fears to rest and say that **IT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN**. Interpret that any way you want, but the bottom line is that this story **will NOT become a harem** in any way, shape or form. 'Nuff said.

And just in case anyone asks, the currency I'm comparing the Ryo to in my story is the American Dollar, not the Japanese Yen. Why? Because it's the one I'm familiar with, being an American and all.

So now that we've gotten that out of the way, here are some dedications, shout-outs and general thanks to some people:

**Weirdismyname:** Your support of my story is always appreciated, thank you so much. For those of you who haven't read it, **Beyond an Heiress' Purpose** just got updated and it's a wonderful read. Check it out.

**Softwinds:** Thanks for the shout-out in your latest chapter. **The Ring that Binds** just got updated, and everyone should check it out as well. Fantastic little story.

**Titokhan/Raja-Ulat:** Sakura/Ino conversation was tweaked and detailed based on suggestions and comments from both. Thanks for the ideas and the input.

**Bennie403:** He gave me several ideas for the real name of Freyja to use in the story, and although I couldn't use his best idea (because of conflicts with what I wrote) I'm going to use a variation on the name that works well. Thank you for all your efforts, suggestions and help.

**Wacko12:** I'm going to use your idea of a member of the Mienai Segi befriending the Raikage. Thank you for the idea, I know just how to write it into the story.

I would also like to say that if you haven't read it yet, the latest chapter of **Take Two, Round Two** by **Third Fang** (which is a sequel to his Yet Again story) has probably the most epic Naruto battle scene I've ever seen written on FanFiction. I got shivers after reading it.

Now that the pleasantries are over, let's get on with the story! Most people won't have to guess too hard at this chapter's disclaimer…I was watching some old episodes on late night television and had to put it in. Love this stuff.

**_Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto. And Pinky, are you pondering what I'm pondering?_**

**_Pinky – I think so. But even if we found a tuxedo to fit a blowfish, who would marry it?_**

**_Disclaimer – Once again your stupidity astounds me, Pinky. I'm thinking that if we had the rights to Naruto, we could use them to take over the world!_**

**_Pinky – That's brilliant! NARF! POIT! (+1 if you get the reference.)_**

* * *

Chapter 18 – Second Month

**_***Time Skip – 37 days after leaving***_**

The past few days had been a whirlwind of activity for Hinata. Besides her training and taking care of Hikaru, she was now hosting a member of the Mienai Segi and her daughter in her home, which was something even in her wildest dreams she never thought she would do.

The girl, Reira had been shy at first but opened up a bit after living with them for few days. Her smile and bubbly personality were very infectious; lifting the spirits of everyone that she was around no matter how depressed they were. She knew that the ability Reira had to make even the darkest situation bright was a rare gift; one that Hinata personally experienced only a few times during the course of her young life.

However, her mother was a very different story.

Freyja was sullen more often than not, and her senses were constantly on edge, especially when she walked through public areas of the village. It was almost as if she was expecting an attack around every corner, and Hinata wondered what someone as powerful as a member of the Mienai Segi could be afraid of. Thinking about the many possibilities of that statement gave her headaches and had lead to more than a few sleepless nights.

Before she knew it, Hinata was standing outside the Bank of Konoha and her line of thought was broken, which was probably for the best. Even though it had been a short week, she received her first B-rank mission paycheck and wanted to deposit it, since twelve hundred Ryo was too much to carry around all at once.

She entered the bank and walked up to the first available teller window, smiling at the woman behind the counter. "Good morning. I'd like to deposit this into my bank account, please."

The teller smiled back. "Certainly; I'd be more than happy to help you. Can you tell me your account number, please?"

The smile vanished from her face. Flustered, Hinata looked at the teller and said, "I…I don't know what it is. My husband usually takes care of depositing money in the bank, but he's out of the village on a mission at the moment."

"Well, it shouldn't be a problem to look it up. Can you tell me who your husband is?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. His name is Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze."

The teller's eyes grew wide. "Your…Your husband is the Hero of the Leaf? You're Lady Hinata?"

Slightly embarrassed, Hinata blushed and said, "Yes, I am. I apologize; I should have told you my name when…"

The teller interrupted her and bowed. "No, **_I'm_** the one who should be apologizing, Lady Hinata. I'm so sorry; I should have recognized you immediately." She straightened back up and said, "Let me get that information for you."

After a few clicks, the information popped up on the screen and a confused look came over her face. "You appear to have three accounts presently with this bank, Lady Hinata. Which one would you like to use?"

Hinata furrowed her brow, confused. Why would they have three accounts? Was Naruto hiding money from her for some reason? What it because…

She realized her thoughts were beginning to run loose again with wild theories, and she shook her head to clear them from her mind, reminding herself of the promise she made to Naruto not to go back down this road in the future.

"I was unaware that we had three accounts. Perhaps a bit more information would help me make my decision."

"Certainly." A few more clicks, and then the teller pointed at her screen. "This first account has a little over three and a half million Ryo in it, and there's a deposit every month from a company called…Watermark Publishing."

Hinata blanched upon hearing the number. "Three…Three and a half million Ryo? And there are monthly deposits from a publishing company besides that?"

The teller nodded. "Yes, it looks like this account…was transferred into your husband's name on June 21st by…the Hokage, Kakashi Hatake."

_June 21st?_ Hinata thought. _That's the day Naruto and I were married._ "Where did the account come from?"

"It appears this account was originally attached to the estate of Jiraiya, the Legendary Sannin which actually explains the deposits. They're more than likely residuals from the books he published."

Hinata was suddenly curious as to what books she was referring to, as well as why Jiraiya had left Naruto such a large amount of money in his will. Deciding to shelve that conversation for when Naruto returned to the village, she turned back to the teller and asked, "What about the second account?"

Another click. "This second account appears to be your joint account, and this is where deposits other than the publishing residuals have been going for the last several months. The balance in this one is just under twenty million Ryo."

Hinata felt the strength drain from her legs when she heard the number. No wonder Naruto had been so adamant about refusing her dowry five months ago when the marriage contract was drawn up. He truly didn't need any money to marry her. She looked down at the twelve hundred Ryo in her hand, which now seemed so small in comparison.

A few more clicks by the teller. "The third account appears to be the general account for the Namikaze clan." She raised her eyebrows at the number. "You may want to consider making the deposit into this account, since the balance is only about fifty Ryo."

Confused, her head snapped back up and she asked, "Fifty Ryo? That doesn't seem right; why would the other accounts have so much money in them but the one associated with our clan has the least?"

The teller pointed at the screen. "I can't speak as to why your husband hasn't made any deposits recently, but it looks like there was originally quite a bit more money in here. A very large transfer out of this account happened about five months ago."

Hinata was suddenly curious. "Can you tell me how much was transferred, and where it went?"

"Of course, Lady Hinata. According to my records, the sum of five hundred thousand Ryo was transferred on June 22nd to…the general account of the Hyūga clan."

Once again, the date stuck in her head. June 22nd was the day **AFTER** her wedding. But why would Naruto authorize such a large transfer to the Hyūga clan? It's almost as if he was paying **THEM** so that he could marry **HER**…

Her eyes widened as something suddenly clicked in her mind. She smiled at the teller and asked, "Could you do me a favor, and provide me with a balance on the first two accounts, along with a copy of the transaction register on the third?"

"Certainly, Lady Hinata." She punched a few buttons and said, "I'll be back in a minute."

As the teller left to retrieve the information, Hinata knew what her next destination was going to be. She just hoped the two of them were home right now, because in a few hours she was expected to be at training ground ten for her daily session with Kakashi.

* * *

_Knock, knock, knock._

The door opened and Hanabi greeted her visitor with a smile. "Nee-san! It's good to see you!"

Hinata smiled back at her sister. "It's nice to see you as well, Imōto. Is Konohamaru home?"

Hanabi shook her head. "Sorry, but he's away on a mission until tomorrow so I'm all by myself. Why?"

"Well, I was hoping to talk with both of you about something important, but I guess it can't be helped. Can I come in?"

"Sure." She stepped aside to let Hinata enter, closing the door behind her. "It's a nice day; so instead of using the house, how about we sit in the garden instead?"

Hinata smiled at the thoughtful suggestion. "That would be lovely, thank you."

Her thoughts went back to three months ago, when Konohamaru had purchased the house and as a surprise, converted the back corner of the land into an almost perfect copy (although on a much smaller scale) of the garden at the Hyūga compound where their mother had spent most of her time before she died. It was a wonderfully thoughtful gesture, and apparently Hanabi had physically thanked him for it – rather emphatically – for a couple of days afterwards if the smile on his face had been any indication.

She sat down at the table next to the Koi pond. She closed her eyes and lifted her head to the sun, feeling it's warmth on her face and she sighed in contentment. Even though she thought something like this would be a wonderful addition to their garden, Hinata had decided against building one, instead using it as an excuse to visit her sister more often. They had grown closer in the last few months since both of them had gotten married, and Hinata treasured these moments as it gave her a greater sense of family than any she had growing up at the Hyūga compound.

Hanabi arrived a minute later carrying a pitcher of ice-cold lemonade and proceeded to pour each one of them a glass, before sitting down as well. The two women sipped their drinks for a minute, enjoying the surroundings and simply being in each other's company.

After a while, Hanabi placed her glass on the table and inquisitively looked at her sister. "So what brings you here today, Nee-san? Whatever it is, you said it was important."

Hinata nodded. "Yes, that's right. This morning I found out the answer to a very big secret, and I wanted to share it with you and Konohamaru."

Hanabi raised her eyebrows and asked, "You found out what Kakashi-sensei looks like underneath his mask?"

"What? No, that's not what I'm talking about! Why is everyone so obsessed about that?" Hinata pulled out the transaction register and handed it to Hanabi. "Take a look at this."

"What exactly am I looking at, Nee-san?"

"It's the transaction register for an account at the Bank of Konoha. Look at the fourth line from the top."

Hanabi squinted a bit as she read, "On June 22nd a transfer was made...to the general account of the Hyūga clan for…five hundred thousand Ryo." She tilted her head in thought. "Isn't that the day after you and Naruto got married?"

"Yes it is, but you're missing something important." Hinata pointed to the top of the page. "Look at the name on the account."

As she did, Hanabi's eyes grew wide and she said, "This…This is the general account for the Namikaze clan."

"That's right. And I can think of only one reason why Naruto-kun would pay such a large amount of money to father at all, and that's to allow you and Konohamaru to get married. The amount and the date are too much of a coincidence to think otherwise."

Hanabi stared at her sister in shock and then quietly said, "He's…He's the unknown benefactor that helped us out." Her hands began to shake. "I…I don't understand; why would he do such a thing?"

"I should think that's rather obvious, Imōto. It's because you and Konohamaru are family, and as such you are important and precious to him. What other reason would there be?"

"Important enough to give father five hundred thousand Ryo?" Hanabi stabbed her finger at the paper. "There's no way Konohamaru and I will be able to pay this back!"

The corners of her mouth turned up and Hinata said, "Well as you can plainly see, apparently the two of you ARE important enough as far as Naruto-kun is concerned. And as for to paying him back, I don't think you have to worry about that."

"Why not?"

"Because if that's all Naruto-kun was worried about, he wouldn't have gone to such great lengths to keep it a secret. He's not interested in getting the money back, only that you and Konohamaru are happy."

Hanabi slumped in her chair and stared off into space, overwhelmed by what she'd just learned. After a minute she turned her gaze back to her sister and asked, "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because when you and Konohamaru got married, you told everyone that if you ever found out who your anonymous savior was, you'd find a way to thank that person properly. I'm merely giving you the opportunity to do so." Her smile grew as she finished, "Although knowing my husband he'll continue to deny ever having given father the money at all, so you're going to have to come up with something that he simply has no choice but to accept."

Hinata went back to sipping her lemonade as she waited for Hanabi to finish processing the information. After another minute, Hanabi looked at her sister and said, "I…I don't know what to say, Nee-san. It…It's such a large amount of money, and even though you gave me proof, I'm still finding it hard to believe that Naruto would just **GIVE** away five hundred thousand Ryo."

"I know how you feel Imōto, but you have to understand this is just how he is…not only is he powerful and protective, he's also sweet, generous and kind." Her look became thoughtful. "I'm grateful that he married me, and loves me more than anything. And we are VERY lucky to have him in our lives."

Hanabi nodded in agreement, and then after a minute her eyes twinkled in amusement and she cocked her head to the side. "Well, how about this? Since you shared a secret with me today, how about I share one with you as well?"

Hinata put down her drink and said, "I'd like that very much."

Hanabi leaned towards her sister and whispered, "I'm pregnant."

Hinata gaped at her sister for a few seconds, stunned at what she'd just heard. Then suddenly, she squealed in delight and pulled Hanabi out of her chair, jumping up and down with joy and hugging her at the same time.

"I'm so happy for you, Imōto! How…How far along are you? When did you find out?"

Hanabi smiled and said, "I'm a little over a month, and I found out a few days ago when I went with Tenten to the hospital for her checkup. We're actually due about a week apart."

"So Tenten is pregnant too?"

Hanabi nodded enthusiastically. "I probably shouldn't have said anything, but I'm sure she would have told you eventually. Besides, I think you're entitled to a little extra credit considering the size of the secret you just told me."

The rest of the morning was taken up with discussions about Hanabi's impending motherhood and plans for the future. Although Hinata was overjoyed with happiness for her little sister, she felt a small twinge of jealousy that she herself hadn't gotten pregnant yet.

More than anything, Hinata wanted to give her loving, caring and forgiving husband the experience of raising a child from the very beginning, since he'd been denied that option with Hikaru. And she also knew that it would be a WONDERFUL addition to the present she already got him…

* * *

**_***Time Skip – 40 days after leaving***_**

Hinata screamed and collapsed to her knees, wincing at the stabbing pain that was flowing through her right hand. Yesterday, she'd finally mastered spinning her chakra at a speed fast enough that Kakashi thought it was time for her to attempt the next step. However, firing the chakra from her fingertips was proving more difficult than she thought, because the technique was causing a significant amount of damage to her chakra coils whenever she tried to do it.

It had been so severe the previous day that Kakashi had ended their daily training session early and sent her to the hospital for treatment, but today there would be no such reprieve because Shizune had been asked to join them in order to heal Hinata on the spot when something happened.

As Shizune knelt next to Hinata to treat her injuries, Kakashi walked up to stand next to them. Perplexed, he rubbed his forehead and said, "Hinata, I'm not sure what's going on but whatever method you're using to launch the chakra from your fingertips is ending in disaster. Can you…"

_"Hokage-sensei! Look! Look! I did it!"_

The three of them looked in the direction of the excited voice, and standing several yards away was Hikaru, grinning ear to ear with a completed Rasengan in his right hand, the size of which was barely large enough to fit in his palm.

Kakashi eye smiled as he turned and walked towards Hikaru, offering his congratulations to the boy. At the same time, Shizune saw Hinata beam with pride at her son but she also recognized something else in her gaze.

"Disappointed, Lady Hinata?"

Hinata looked at Shizune. "What?"

"I can see that you're proud of Hikaru for completing the Rasengan, but I also can see that you're disappointed in yourself that you haven't completed your new technique yet."

Hinata sheepishly looked towards the ground and asked, "Is it that obvious?"

Shizune smiled ruefully. "Maybe not to everybody, but to me it is. Over the years, I've had plenty of practice reading the hidden emotions of both Naruto-kun and Lady Tsunade. Don't be discouraged; this is just a minor setback and I'm positive you'll figure out what's wrong."

Grateful for her kind words, Hinata said, "Thank you for saying that, Lady Shizune. By the way, I'm curious about something – yesterday, you were the one who treated me at the hospital, and when Kakashi-sensei asked for someone to join us today at the training ground, you showed up again and not Lady Tsunade. Please don't misunderstand me – it's not that I don't appreciate your help, but I haven't seen Lady Tsunade for quite some time, and I was hoping you could tell me why."

The smile vanished from Shizune's face, and her look became vague. After a few moments of silence she answered, "Lady Tsunade has been…unavailable for work. I've been handling her paperwork and hospital duties for the last few weeks."

Hinata suddenly became worried and she asked, "Is…Is Lady Tsunade all right? She's not sick or injured, is she?"

Shizune shook her head. "She's not sick or injured, but she's certainly not all right. She's…been in her office drinking non-stop since the day after Naruto-kun came to talk with her. I've been trying to get her out of there so I can air the place out and clean up a bit, but she won't budge. She's blaming herself for everything that's happened to Naruto-kun over the past eight years."

_Lady Tsunade is blaming herself for what happened to Naruto-kun? Hinata thought to herself. Actually, that reminds me of something…_

"Lady Shizune, if it's not too much trouble I'd like to ask you something. The day before Naruto-kun left, he gave me a brief explanation about the conversation he had with Lady Tsunade, and he also mentioned that you were there the entire time. I've been meaning to come see you since then, because Naruto-kun was very upset and angry about it. Can you tell me what she said?"

Shizune finished healing Hinata and rubbed her forehead, frustrated at the situation with her mentor. She gave Hinata a discouraging sigh and said, "Normally I would respect Lady Tsunade's privacy, but I believe you have a right to know what happened. Besides, with Naruto-kun away from the village on a mission I believe you're the only one who can help me break Lady Tsunade out of the drunken stupor she's put herself in."

As the two women began to talk, across the way Kakashi watched as Hikaru dispelled the Rasengan he'd finally managed to create and collapsed to the ground, panting from exhaustion.

Kakashi eye smiled at him, amused at the sight. "Not as easy as it looks, is it?"

Hikaru scoffed and said, "No kidding Hokage-sensei; I feel like I just got done running a marathon. But now that I did it once, I think it's gonna start getting easier to do. And besides, the size of it is still pretty small. My dad can make bigger ones, right?"

"Well, don't forget that he has a bit of an edge because of the Kyuubi but you're right – I remember during the fourth shinobi war, your dad made one as big as your house. It was actually quite impressive."

Hikaru gulped, thinking about how much power and skill had gone into creating something so massive. He wearily looked up at his teacher and asked, "Could…Could we take a break for a little bit, Hokage-sensei? I'd like to catch my breath before I try again."

Kakashi looked over to where Hinata and Shizune were sitting. Whatever they were talking about seemed to be very important, and it didn't look like they would be finished anytime soon.

"That's not a bad idea, Hikaru. Let's go sit underneath a tree for a few minutes and relax while we wait for your mom to finish her conversation. I brought some snacks just in case this happened."

The two of them walked over to the edge of the clearing and sat down. Kakashi produced a storage scroll from his vest, unrolling it onto the ground and placing his hand in the center. Several items instantly appeared, including assorted fruits and plates of Dango.

Hikaru grabbed an apple while he watched, fascinated as Kakashi took a stick of Dango and somehow managed to eat it with his mask on. The two of them ate in silence for a few minutes before curiosity got the better of him and Hikaru decided to ask a question.

"Hokage-sensei…" He pointed at the scroll. "…what's that?"

Kakashi raised an eyebrow and said, "That? It's a storage scroll. Haven't you ever seen one before?"

Hikaru shook his head. "Kinda sorta. Iruka-sensei says we'll go over seals and stuff next year, but the only thing I've really seen up close before now has been my dad's Hiraishin kunai." He leaned a little closer, studying the scroll more intently. "Did you make this?"

Kakashi shook his head. "No, I didn't. I merely copied the pattern from another storage scroll. Fūinjutsu has become something of a lost art."

"Fūinjutsu? What's that?"

"That's the proper term for someone who is skilled in sealing techniques. Fūinjutsu can be used for applications like exploding tags or silencing seals, as well as sealing or unsealing objects from within something or someone."

Still curious, Hikaru pointed at the scroll again. "What do each one of these symbols mean?"

Kakashi gave a defeated sigh. "I only know a few of them, Hikaru. We haven't had a fūinjutsu master in our village for a long time now. The last one was your grandmother, Kushina – she taught your grandfather Minato everything he knew, and the two of them died almost twenty seven years ago."

The tone of Hikaru's voice perked up at hearing this, but his eyes never left the scroll. "Really? She was that good?"

Kakashi chucked and said, "Well, of course – she was an Uzumaki, and they're natural born…"

As the realization suddenly hit him, Kakashi's eye became wide as he stared at Hikaru, who was still studying the scroll with the same intensity as Jiraiya doing 'research' for one of his books. He knew right then and there that he'd almost missed something potentially important, but before he got his hopes up he needed to run some tests first to confirm his suspicions. But in order to do that, he was going to need a few things…

"Hikaru, I think I have some scrolls in the archives that can help you learn fūinjutsu. If you're interested, how about you stop by before our training session tomorrow and I'll loan you a couple of them."

Hikaru beamed at the Hokage, ecstatic that he was being entrusted with some of the village's private scrolls. "That'll be great, Hokage-sensei! Thanks!"

Kakashi left Hikaru studying the scroll underneath the tree, while he walked back across clearing to where Hinata and Shizune were sitting. Fortunately enough for him, they were just finishing up their conversation so he didn't have to worry about being drawn into something he had no interest in.

Shizune said, "So then, we're in agreement? Tomorrow at ten?"

Hinata nodded. "Yes. I'll meet you there tomorrow at ten." She looked up at Kakashi and sighed. "I'm ready to try again, Kakashi-sensei."

"That's good Hinata, but before I was distracted by your son I was going to ask you a few questions." His voice wavered between inquisitiveness and resignation, almost as if he knew the answer to his next question, but decided to ask it anyway. "Can you please tell me what method you're using to try and launch the spinning chakra from your hands?"

Wondering why he'd ask such a question, Hinata blinked a few times in confusion and then answered, "It's the same method I've always used, Kakashi-sensei. I create a small pulse at the base of the chakra, which causes it to fire from my fingertips. Basically, the bigger the pulse the farther I can extend the range. However, the maximum I've ever been able to reach is about twenty feet in diameter when I perform my Protection of the Eight Trigrams technique."

"And if I asked you to explain to me what the feeling of this small pulse of chakra is like, what's the best analogy you can give me?"

Hinata was silent as her mind sorted through all of the ways she could answer that question. She cocked her head to the side and said, "Well, it's like I'm creating a small explosive charge at the base of my chakra, so the closest comparison I can make would be trying to fire off a cannonball. Why?"

Kakashi groaned and rubbed his temples. Hinata could clearly tell he was frustrated with her answer, but as it turned out his frustration wasn't with her, but rather her family.

"Just like I thought. It's times like these when the typical Hyūga stubbornness and inflexibility really pisses me off." He stopped trying to massage away his ever growing headache and asked, "Hinata, why on earth are you trying to do something like that? Your chakra is based on water, not lightning! Do you even realize how much damage that can actually cause if you don't have the right affinity for it?"

Hinata was taken aback slightly, as the questions Kakashi flung at her were unexpected and she really only had one response, which was the same one her family had given her for many years. "But…But that's the way my family taught me how to do it since I was young. It's the way I've always done it, and it's never injured me before."

"And that's more than likely the reason why you had so much trouble mastering your family's techniques growing up. I'm guessing you have a secondary affinity for lightning, which is probably why you had to work three times as hard for half the result. Now that you're making the pulse larger it's actually causing damage to your chakra coils because they can't handle the strain. If anyone in your family with half a brain had bothered to remove the bamboo stick that was shoved up their ass and ask what your primary affinity is in the beginning, they could have adjusted your training style to work with your natural talents, rather than against them." Kakashi eye smiled at her. "You even might have given Naruto a run for his money before he left the village eight years ago."

Hinata's eyes widened upon hearing this. All her life she'd thought she was a failure because of her difficulty in learning the clan's fighting style and techniques, when it was probably because her family never looked beyond the fact that their training methods weren't based on her primary affinity. Even more frustrating for her is that during the entire time she had been trained as a child, not one of her instructors cared or even bothered to consider there might be a legitimate reason why she was struggling so much.

In a timid voice laced with hope she asked, "You…You really believe that, Kakashi-sensei? You think I can get stronger just like Naruto-kun?"

The confidence in his voice was abundantly clear as Kakashi responded, "I don't just think you can Hinata, I KNOW it. And don't forget, half of the people out there who can mold chakra only have one affinity. The amount of people like you who have two is much smaller, and three or more is smaller still. The fact that you've come this far focusing ONLY on your secondary affinity is a testament in and of itself to your strength, and I'm positive that if you can learn to use your primary affinity effectively, you can become one of the strongest kunoichi in the village."

Kakashi watched as Hinata's face lit up with confidence from his encouraging words. The same Will of Fire that he'd seen in Naruto and Hikaru now burned in her eyes, and Kakashi almost shivered at the determination that she reflected back at him. He knew that it would take something catastrophic for her to back down from the training at this point.

He held up a finger and said, "Now this time, I want you to imagine your chakra differently for me. I'm not trying to insult your intelligence Hinata, and I know this is going to sound simplistic, but I want you to envision the final process like a garden hose."

"A…A garden hose, Kakashi-sensei?"

He nodded. "Yes, Hinata. Think of it this way – you turn on a garden hose and the water flows normally, right? Well, what if you want to make the water travel farther? You'd put a nozzle on the end of the hose to regulate the flow of water – a smaller opening will make it travel farther, and the more you open the nozzle, the larger the flow becomes and the more the distance is reduced. But what if you took it one step further? What if you created a smaller opening AND built up additional pressure at the same time? The speed and force of the water would be tremendous, don't you think?"

Hinata could only nod at his explanation, but the idea seemed far too simplistic to actually work. Maybe it was because she was expecting it to be difficult after all the harsh training methods used by her family.

Kakashi began "Now let's try this again...Imagine your chakra flowing through your body in a circular motion, like a river winding through a forest. Just like the water flows downstream, then into the ocean only to make its way back inland and begin the process all over again, you need to make sure your chakra follows the same pattern. It's important for the flow to be steady and even at every point; don't restrain the majority of your chakra in your core and then flare it out when you want to attack. If you do that, you're using your lightning affinity and not your water, which is the one we really want."

Realizing that going back to the beginning of chakra training was a hard pill to swallow, Kakashi's lone eye gazed at her sympathetically and his words took on an encouraging tone. "This is going to take some time to get used to Hinata, and I know that starting over with the basics is frustrating, but once you make this change mentally you're going to be shocked at the difference. And don't forget that you've already got a head-start on this. While your family screwed up most of your training, the one thing they did get right was to teach you perfect chakra control, which will speed things up tremendously."

Deciding to give her one last mental push, Kakashi moved his face close to hers. In a firm voice laden with confidence he said, "And once you master this, we can take your training to a whole other level. You'll be able to create and perform techniques you never thought possible, and then the Hyūga clan will see for themselves the strength that Naruto has always seen in you."

* * *

**_***Time Skip – 41 days after leaving***_**

Eight o'clock. The sun had risen over Konoha about an hour ago, and the compound was awash with the sound of servants performing their daily routines, in anticipation of the new day.

However, one person wasn't so eager to rise and shine like other members of his clan.

For the last three weeks, Hiashi Hyūga had dreaded getting out of bed every morning, and it wasn't because he was injured or felt sick – he just didn't want to deal with whatever prank was waiting for him today.

Apparently, he'd drawn the ire of someone in the village, and this person had been leaving various pranks for him around the estate. In the beginning, Hiashi had thought that the entire Hyūga clan was the intended target, but after a few days it became obvious that he – Hiashi Hyūga – was being singled out for some unknown reason.

Many things could be said about Hiashi, but the fact that he had even a small sense of humor wasn't one of them. And despite the fact that the pranks weren't designed to be harmful or destructive in any way, he didn't like being made to look like a fool in front of his clan.

_Over and over again. By someone who enjoyed seeing him constantly on edge._

Realizing he couldn't put it off any longer, Hiashi gave a heavy sigh and walked into the bathroom to begin the day. He turned on the shower, watching the water for a solid minute before disrobing and getting in (packets of yellow, blue and red dye placed in the showerhead had been prank number six). He let the water run over his body for several minutes, trying to ease the tension in his body and loosen his muscles a bit. It seemed to work, at least partially – which he begrudgingly admitted to himself was better than nothing. Grabbing the soap, he washed his body thoroughly before turning his attention to his hair.

He opened the shampoo and conditioner, sniffing each one carefully before nodding to himself in satisfaction. Concentrated lemon juice added to both had been prank number nine, drying his hair out considerably after using them unknowingly for three days straight. It had taken a week – and many expensive treatments – to repair the damage, but of course the mysterious prankster hadn't let up, pulling three more pranks during this time – the most annoying of which had been covering every piece of furniture in his office with a very thin layer of maple syrup.

After exiting the shower and drying himself off, he stepped to the sink to brush his teeth. Replacing his toothpaste with hemorrhoid cream had been prank number seven, and after making sure that hadn't happened again he finished up and walked back into the main bedroom, opening the top drawer of his dresser to remove a clean set of undergarments, absently pulling out the first one he came in contact with.

Unfortunately, it wasn't what he was expecting.

In his hand, Hiashi held a pair of red thong underwear, trimmed with lace and the words "I'm Too Sexy" written along the waistband. Annoyed at the sight, he narrowed his eyes for a moment before opening the drawer a bit further to look at the contents, noticing that every pair of underwear had been replaced with ladies panties of all colors and styles – the most disturbing of which was a pair of black hiphugger panties that said "There Is No Carpet To Match The Drapes" on the front.

Still holding the red thong underwear, he closed the top drawer and opened the second. This one held bras in all colors and styles that matched the panties – push up, bombshell, strapless…there was even a nursing bra mixed in with them.

His ire rising to dangerous levels, Hiashi closed the drawer and hesitated a moment, before deciding to open drawer number three. It seemed his mysterious prankster had saved the best for last, as this one was filled bras and panties made of black leather, with zippers in all the wrong places (or right places, depending on how perverted you were). As an added touch, a cat-o'-nine-tails whip was part of the collection.

That was the last straw. His face red with fury, he opened the door to his room and shouted, _"Kō! Get over here!"_

Within a few seconds, Kō was standing in front of his clan leader. There was no need to ask why he was there, but simply for the entertainment value, he decided to play along anyway. "You called, Lord Hiashi?"

Hiashi held up the lace red thong underwear and said, "Take a look at this."

Kō reached out and took the garment, holding it up with both hands while he studied it carefully. After a few moments, a smile broke out on his face and he whistled.

"Did you finally have some female company last night, Lord Hiashi? I have to say, it's about time and if these panties are any indication, she must be quite a catch. Congratulations."

Hiashi glared at the man. "You're not funny, Kō. Our mysterious prankster replaced all of my undergarments with these."

Amused at the subtlety of the prank, Kō raised an eyebrow and asked, "Just panties?"

Still seething about the situation, Hiashi missed the fact that Kō was goading him on and said, "Well, the second drawer has bras that match the panties, but the third…" Realizing what he was saying, he caught himself before finishing the sentence. His anger rising once again, he glared menacingly at Kō and shouted, "What's in my drawers is not important! I mean, what's in my **dresser** drawers is not important! Did the guards see anything last night?"

"Yes and no, Lord Hiashi. Apparently, there was a naked woman running around the compound last night around ten o'clock, but anyone that managed to get a good look at her suffered a significant nosebleed and passed out."

Hiashi gave Kō a blank stare, but the tone of his voice didn't change. "So you're telling me that the person we've been looking for is a woman? And she's been running around the compound naked, setting these pranks?"

"It appears so. But no one saw her face, only her…attributes. And based on the reaction from our guards, I'd have to guess they were quite…impressive, to say the least. Other than that, the only thing anyone seems to remember is the color of her hair, and even then the information is vague. Some say it was black, while others swear it was brown. Either way, we know the color was dark in nature."

"That's not very much to go on, Kō. A little over half the population of Konoha has dark hair."

Kō shrugged. "I realize that Lord Hiashi, but at this point we have no other leads. The only other suggestion I have would be to double the guard at night, placing everyone in groups of two – one male and one female, to avoid being…distracted by our visitor in the future."

Hiashi thought about this for a moment, and then nodded in acceptance. "As sound a plan as any, I suppose. Make the changes immediately – I want this person caught the next time they sneak into the compound."

Kō inclined his head. "Your will, Lord Hiashi." As he turned to walk away, Hiashi decided to add…

"And have someone bring me some fresh undergarments! There's no way I'm using what's in my dresser, especially any of the items in drawer number three!"

**_***Flashback – the previous night***_**

"Okay Hikaru, here's what you're going to use for tonight's prank."

"What's in the boxes, Uncle Kono?"

Konohamaru rubbed his hands together, like the villain plotting against the hero in a cheesy B-rate movie. "Ladies undergarments of all styles and colors. I even threw in a bunch of 'special' items that are sure to send Hiashi over the edge."

Hikaru looked at him skeptically. "I don't get it. What's so special about girls' underwear? And what's that got to do with anything?"

"It's not girls' underwear, Hikaru – it's **LADIES** underwear. There's a big difference."

"Big difference like what?"

"You'll find out when you're older."

"How much older?"

Konohamaru threw his hands up in frustration and said, "Just…older, okay? Why are you asking so many questions?"

Hikaru shrugged. "Because I'm trying to understand the nature of the prank." Curious, he reached for the boxes and said, "Maybe it would help if I looked in these to see what the big deal is…"

"NO!" Konohamaru slammed his hand down on the top of the boxes. "There's no need for you to do that, Hikaru – besides, your mother and aunt would kill me if you got a good look at the stuff."

Hikaru sighed. It was late, and he didn't feel like arguing with his uncle right now because he had classes at the academy tomorrow, as well as training with the Hokage in the afternoon.

"Okay, fine – I won't look in the boxes, Uncle Kono. What do you want me to do with them?"

Konohamaru grinned evilly and said, "It's actually very simple. You're going to replace the undergarments in Hiashi's dresser with these – three boxes, three drawers. I've even taken the liberty of numbering them for you, because you need to do it in the proper order for Hiashi to get the full effect and blow a mental gasket…"

**_***End Flashback***_**

* * *

At ten o'clock, Hinata walked into the hospital to meet up with Shizune, so that they could hopefully break Tsunade out of her self-inflicted punishment. Although after their conversation yesterday, her anger had been growing steadily, and she was finding it hard to go through with her promise to help the former Hokage.

Regarding Hikaru, there was plenty of blame to go around. Hinata had kept his origin a secret, allowing her fears to run wild with thoughts that Naruto would take Hikaru and leave her after learning the truth. She had conveniently forgotten how fiercely loyal he was to those who were precious to him, as well as his kind and generous nature. When she'd found out months later that he loved her and not Sakura, it had only made her feelings of guilt that much worse, and if Naruto and Hikaru hadn't forgiven her, she knew that she would still be wallowing in her own misery.

But that paled in comparison to what Sakura was responsible for. She had manipulated the situation from the very beginning, when she had dated Naruto and then broke his heart mercilessly, betting that he would find Sasuke and convince him to come back to Konoha, and to her. Even after finding out she was pregnant – which apparently was the only thing Sakura hadn't counted on – she had still somehow managed to turn things to her advantage, playing on Hinata's feelings for Naruto, as well as her teacher/student relationship with Tsunade, escaping the situation without any responsibilities or attachments.

Shizune had filled her in on the conversation that had happened between her husband and Tsunade the day before he left. Despite the fact that Naruto was the only person alive she considered family, Tsunade had given in to every request that Sakura had asked for, rather than assert some power as Hokage for the benefit of HER supposedly most precious person. Even worse than that had been the revelation that she had lied to Hinata from the very beginning, telling her that Naruto hadn't been found when in fact she hadn't even been looking for him in the first place.

Despite her supposed good intentions, Tsunade had inadvertently contributed to the pain and suffering Naruto had experienced while he was away from the village. It was apparent that Tsunade knew this, which is why she'd started punishing herself the same way as when Dan and Nawaki had died all those years ago – by drinking herself into a constant state of unconsciousness in order to escape the pain of reality.

And at this point, Hinata wasn't going to let Tsunade get off that easy. Hinata had accepted responsibility for her actions, vowing that whatever it took she would make it up to her husband – never mind the fact that Naruto had generously forgiven her. And Tsunade was no different – she should be held to the exact same standard. As she walked down the hallway and rounded the corner, she saw Shizune waiting for her outside Tsunade's office.

Shizune smiled at her and said, "Good morning, Lady Hinata. Are you ready for this?"

Hinata smiled back. "I am, although I've had quite a bit of time to think about our conversation yesterday, and you should know that I'm not going to go easy on Lady Tsunade. Along with Sakura, she's responsible for a great deal of the pain and suffering Naruto-kun went through when he left the village, and she needs to accept responsibility for her actions, just as I have."

Looking her square in the eyes, Shizune nodded gravely and said, "I agree with you completely. Just refrain from getting in a physical altercation with her. Bad things happen when someone does that." She hesitantly placed her hand on the doorknob. "Also, I should warn you that the office is rather disgusting and…fragrant, to say the least."

Shizune opened the door and immediately Hinata's senses were assaulted. The smell of sake that wafted forth was extremely strong, and there was an undercurrent of body odor in the air – telling her that the occupant hadn't bathed in quite some time. Hinata wrinkled her nose at the scent, and her stomach churned in disgust.

As they walked into the room, Hinata noticed that the blinds were closed, letting very little light into the room. Empty bottles were strewn across most of the furniture, as well as the floor. She wondered why Tsunade hadn't simply thrown them in the wastebasket, but then the scent of vomit reached her nose, and she reasoned that the wastebasket was probably beside her chair for use when she got sick.

Tsunade was passed out across her desk, a half empty bottle of sake in her right hand. Some of the contents had spilled across the surface, and whatever paperwork was lying there had soaked it up. Her hair was scraggly and matted, and she was mumbling to herself between loud bouts of snoring in her alcohol-induced sleep.

Shizune stepped forward and quietly said, "Lady Tsunade, you have a visitor."

Tsunade gave no outward reaction that she had heard anything, continuing to mumble and snore into the puddle of sake in front of her face.

Shizune raised her voice and tried again, hoping to gently wake her mentor up. A Sannin with a hangover suffering from raging headache was not someone you wanted to be around if you planned on having a good day.

"Lady Tsunade, Lady Hinata is here to see you. She wants to talk to you about Naruto-kun."

This finally elicited a small reaction from Tsunade, as she shifted a bit and her mumbling became distinct enough for them to make out a couple of words…

_"…my fault…hurt…"_

Hinata frowned, clearly disgusted at the sight before her. Deciding she'd seen enough, her tone became terse and she said, "Lady Shizune. Do me a favor and pick up as many bottles as you can. I'll be right back."

Shizune watched as Hinata walked out of the room, somewhat surprised at her demeanor. The only other time she'd ever seen Hinata like this is after Hikaru had gotten in trouble or had disobeyed her for some reason. Sighing, she found an empty box amid the stacks of paperwork and started to fill it with bottles while she waited for Hinata to come back.

After a minute, Hinata came back into the room with a large glass of ice water in her hand. Shizune watched as Hinata walked up to Lady Tsunade, clearly unafraid of the repercussions and threw it in her face.

The results were instantaneous. Tsunade shot up from her position on the desk, coughing and sputtering as she wiped the water from her eyes to see who was responsible for shocking her into consciousness.

Hinata set the glass down on the desk and walked over to the windows, throwing open the blinds as far as they could go. Sunlight flooded into the room, and Tsunade covered her eyes in a vain attempt to escape the pain it caused her. Her posture and attitude still rigid, Hinata sat down in front of the desk and said, "Lady Tsunade. I think it's time you and I had a conversation about Naruto-kun."

Tsunade squinted and looked in the direction of the voice. "Hin…Hinata? Is that you?"

Hinata leveled her gaze at Tsunade and said, "Yes, it is. Although I'm surprised that you can even recognize me at all, considering your current state."

"Go away." Tsunade mumbled, before rummaging around in her desk. "I'm not interested in talking to anyone." She pulled a bottle out of her bottom drawer and opened it up. "Only one left. Shizune, when you go out today take some money and buy me another case of sake."

Tsunade raised the bottle, licking her lips in anticipation but before she even managed to taste it, the bottle shattered and sake sprayed everywhere. Confused, Tsunade stared incredulously at the shards of glass that now littered her desk, wondering what just happened until she saw Hinata pointing at where the bottle had been only moments before.

Outwardly pleased with herself, Hinata wore a self-satisfied grin on her face as she calmly said, "There. Now that you're completely out of sake, you have no choice but to talk to me."

Her mind still in a haze, Tsunade looked at the woman sitting before her and asked, "What…What the hell was that?"

"Something Naruto-kun and Kakashi-sensei helped me create, where I can actually shoot chakra spikes out of my fingers. I completed the technique only yesterday and the range is rather limited, but I'm sure I'll get better with practice. And in case you're wondering, I haven't gotten around to naming it yet. Maybe I should call it the sake killer."

Stunned in disbelief, Tsunade could only stare at Hinata before dropping the remains of the bottle. Not caring about the mess it would make, she swept the ruined paperwork and broken glass off of her desk and onto the floor, before burying her face in her hands.

In a voice laced with defeat she asked, "What exactly do you want, Hinata?"

"What I want is your undivided attention, Lady Tsunade. You and I are going to have a little chat about your meeting with Naruto-kun over a month ago."

Tsunade groaned, clearly not wanting to rehash the conversation. "Save your breath. There's nothing you can say that will make me feel worse than I actually do."

"Oh, really? Then I don't have to mention how from the beginning, you willingly gave in to every request your apprentice made? Or how you never exerted one iota of authority as Hokage to force Sakura into revealing exactly what she said to Naruto-kun, causing him to leave the village a broken man, bent on self-destruction? Or how about the fact that you lied to me for almost five years, telling me that you had no news of where Naruto-kun was, when in fact you weren't even looking for him practically from the beginning?"

The terseness of Hinata's voice made every comment cut deep into Tsunade's soul, but silence is the only response she gave. She couldn't refute what was being said, because as harsh as it was to admit, she knew every word rang true.

Hinata didn't let up in the meantime, instead continuing her verbal assault. "Do you even realize what you've done? How much pain you've caused the one person who's supposed to be more important to you than everyone else, by sitting idly on the sidelines the entire time?"

Another minute of silence. Just as Hinata was starting to wonder if Tsunade might have slipped back into unconsciousness, she heard the sound of something tapping against the desk.

Looking closer, Hinata realized they were tears. Tsunade was crying beneath her hands.

"I…I know what I did, Hinata. I know that when it came to dealing with Sakura, I acted more like a friend and less like the Hokage. I should…should have forced her to do the right thing, instead of bargaining with her." She sniffed a few times, and her voice broke as the misery and guilt washed over her. "It's my fault. Everything…the pain, the suffering…eight years of his life that he…he tried to kill himself…It's all my fault…"

Hinata heard the anguish in her voice and it tore at her heart. She was suddenly reminded of the day of the attack, when Naruto told her that he found out the truth about Hikaru. The thought of her husband and son hating her for what she'd done had been almost more than she could bear, so she sympathized with how Tsunade felt.

However, in no way was she was going to let her off the hook. Hinata remained firm in her resolve, but decided to soften the tone of her voice a bit.

"Lady Tsunade, despite what you may think, what happened to Naruto-kun is not entirely your fault. The three of us – you, Sakura and myself – all share blame in this to varying degrees. I can't speak for Sakura, but my guess is that she doesn't feel any remorse for what she did. As for myself, I have my own burden to bear, and I have vowed to do whatever it takes to make it up to Naruto-kun. And as a former Hokage, as well as one of the legendary Sannin and someone that many kunoichi around the village look up to, I expect you to do the same. You're going to face my husband when he returns from his mission. You're going to apologize to him for what you've done. And you're going to beg for his forgiveness."

Shizune stood at the back of the room, shocked at how Hinata was acting. The woman who had always been shy, reserved and unsure of herself had suddenly become strong and confident. She wasn't sure if it was because Naruto was the subject of the conversation, but whatever the reason might be, Shizune was happy to see Hinata believing in herself and standing up to Tsunade.

Her face still buried in her hands, Tsunade shook her head in denial and said, "I…I don't know if I can do that, Hinata."

Hinata pressed her lips together, and the tone of her voice became brusque as she said, "I wouldn't recommend saying no, Lady Tsunade. You won't like the result."

The words caused Tsunade to raise her head. Her eyes were red and swollen from a mixture of crying and drinking heavily, and tears stained her cheeks. Her manner turned defensive before she sniffed a few times and asked, "What the hell does that mean?"

"It means that I'll be forced to take drastic measures if you don't make things right with Naruto-kun. More specifically, I'll render your adoption agreement with him null and void."

Her eyes widened at the implied threat and Tsunade sputtered, "You…You can't do that!"

Hinata raised an eyebrow and said, "Let me assure you that I most certainly can, Lady Tsunade. With Naruto-kun away from the village, I'm the de facto head of the Namikaze clan, which means I have complete power and authority to negate the contract if I wish to do so. Whether I do this or not, depends entirely upon you."

Hinata watched as the look in Tsunade's eyes changed from shock to one of fear. Apparently, the thought of losing Naruto as her adopted grandson was more frightening than having to look into his eyes and personally see the pain that she had caused him.

Tsunade knew she was beaten. Her shoulders slumped in defeat and in a despondent voice she said, "Fine. You win. I promise I'll talk to the gaki when he gets back."

Hinata gave her a deadpan look. "Lady Tsunade, as much as I appreciate you acceding to my rather…forceful requests, I think I'll need a little bit more than just your word." Hinata activated her Byakugan. "On you honor as former Hokage, swear to me that you will face my husband upon his return and do whatever it takes to make things right. And keep in mind that with these…" Hinata pointed at her eyes. "…I'll be able to tell if you're lying or not."

Tsunade stared back at the former Heiress, a bit miffed that she would suggest – albeit indirectly – that her promise simply wasn't good enough. But after thinking about it for a moment, Tsunade realized that she really couldn't blame her since she'd lied to Hinata for five years straight. Hinata was just being protective of her husband and his feelings, as well as ensuring that Tsunade wouldn't go back on her word – **this time**.

Straightening in her chair, Tsunade folded her hands in front of her and said with as much pride as she could muster, "On my honor as Godaime Hokage, I swear that when Naruto returns to the village I will speak with him and apologize for what I've done. Furthermore, I also swear to do whatever it takes for him to regain his faith and trust in me."

Almost immediately after hearing the words, Hinata's demeanor changed as if a switch had been flipped. The look in her eyes softened and a warm smile appeared on her face, almost as if the shy and reserved part of her personality was back in control.

"Thank you for saying that, Lady Tsunade. Despite how my husband might feel about you right now, I know that he still loves you and I'm sure that if this had gone unresolved, it would have caused him further pain, which was never my intention." She walked around the desk to help Tsunade stand up. "Now you probably can't tell, but the smell in here is rather rancid. You need a shower badly, so let's get you out of here while Shizune oversees the cleanup of your office." Hinata giggled. "Besides, it'll give Shizune time to search for any bottles of sake that you've secretly hidden and forgotten about. I believe it would be best for everyone if you were completely sober between now and the time you talk with my husband."

At that point, a cry of agony was heard throughout the village. The people within earshot laughed and smiled, because they knew the former Hokage was the one responsible for the sound, and the reason why was because someone had once again cut off her supply of sake.

* * *

**_***Time Skip – 47 days after leaving***_**

In a tea house across from the Yamanaka flower shop, a very pregnant Sakura Uchiha sat waiting. Over the last few weeks she'd tried talking with the rest of her classmates, only to be firmly refused by each and every one. Shikamaru had been the least vocal, simply saying that a meeting with her would be 'beyond troublesome', while Neji promised that she experienced firsthand not only what life had been like for Hinata over the last eight years, but also for Naruto when he was growing up.

At first, she hadn't been worried about the veiled threat. As it turned out, she had vastly underestimated him.

In addition to talking with Hiashi, Neji had approached the other five great clans of Konoha and asked for their help. The story of what happened had already been told to them by his classmates, so persuading them to go along with what he wanted to do had been surprisingly easy. It also didn't hurt that his request was rather small.

Simply put, he asked everyone to exert some 'influence' over any of the local businesses they were involved with not to deal with Sakura. Apparently this didn't take much effort either, as most of the village had heard the story as well. And the list of places that was willing to 'help them out' was quite extensive.

A good number of businesses stopped selling her goods. Other stores asked her not to enter. Produce stands at the market either doubled or tripled their prices. Only a handful of shops sympathized with what she'd done, but those were few and far between. People pointed at her and whispered about how she'd tried to anonymously offer up the grandson of the Yondaime to an orphanage in Suna. The ANBU didn't want to be around her, even though every day one of them was required to assist her. When she attended council meetings as acting head of the Uchiha clan, her opinion was either ignored or dismissed altogether.

Her life had ranged from difficult to miserable over the last forty days or so. But what really burned her to the core was the fact that for everything bad that happened to her, the exact opposite had happened to Hinata.

People couldn't stop apologizing to her, horrified that they had treated her so callously when in reality she didn't deserve any of it. They always greeted her cheerfully, offering their services either at a great discount, or free of charge. They bowed more often in respect, honored to meet the woman who not only had married the Hero of the Leaf, but had suffered in silence to take care of his son. Even those who hadn't necessarily treated her poorly before, now went out of their way behave far more amicably towards her.

And then there was the matter of the request Hinata had made from the council, which they had readily agreed to as a way to make amends for how the village had treated both her and Naruto over the years. Everyone else had approved of it, and rather than be the only dissenting vote she voted for the measure, doing so with a false smile on her face even though she was stewing on the inside.

Now she was trying to apologize, and no one was buying it – apparently, they didn't find her attitude convincing enough to believe. It had only been after a great deal of pleading and coaxing that Ino had agreed to talk with her at all, and that was only if the meeting was in public at a neutral site, hence the reason for her being at the tea house.

As if on cue, Ino came in and looked around. Spying Sakura alone in a secluded corner, she walked over and curtly greeted her classmate and onetime rival. "Forehead."

"Pig." She gestured and asked, "Want some tea?"

Ino shook her head. "No. I don't plan on being here that long." She sat down in the booth across from Sakura. "Well, you begged me to meet with you, because you said you needed to talk. Now that I'm here, you can tell me what you want. The quicker we get this meeting over with, the better."

Sakura frowned, annoyed at the tone of voice Ino used. Keeping her temper in check during the conversation was going to be difficult, if this was the attitude she had to deal with. "I need your help. I've been trying to apologize to everyone for what happened, but no one is interested in hearing what I have to say. I was hoping you could convince the others to hear me out, since you're the one who spread the information all over the village in the first place."

"It was a group effort, actually. And frankly, you're barking up the wrong tree. The one you should be apologizing to is Hinata, not any of us."

Sakura scowled and said, "I've already tried that. She isn't interested in anything I have to say."

Ino smirked and asked, "And just why do you think that is?"

Sakura narrowed her eyes. "Look Ino, I'm not stupid. I know why she's angry at me, but it's been over a month – shouldn't she be over it by now? I mean, in the end Hinata got what she wanted and so did I. Isn't that all that matters?"

"Isn't that…" Ino looked at her incredulously. "Are…Are you kidding me, Forehead? When Hinata came back from your so called 'mission' with Hikaru, she was immediately disowned by her clan. It was only because of Neji that she was even allowed to stay in the compound after that. When she wasn't around, the villagers called her names she didn't even remotely deserve, and if Hiashi had been given the opportunity he would have married her off, sending both her and Hikaru to the farthest corner of the elemental nations to rot. How can none of that matter to you?"

Sakura waived her hand. "You make it sound like I did all those things. Hinata knew what would happen when she agreed to care for Hikaru, and she accepted it willingly. What happened afterwards was not my fault."

Pissed off at her dismissive attitude, Ino practically shouted, "But you did nothing to prevent it! And in case you've forgotten, all this started well before that when you decided to date Naruto. You **KNEW** he was crazy in love with you, and had been for years. You **KNEW** that nothing would ever come from dating him, but you did it anyway because you were lonely and just wanted someone in your life. And then you purposely ripped his heart out, when your original plan to get Naruto to break up with you backfired and he proposed to you. Any of that ring a bell?"

"I know all that, Ino. I never meant to hurt Naruto, things just…spiraled out of control, and I panicked. But you're being a bit hypocritical, don't you think? Isn't that the same as what happened between you and Choji?"

Disgusted that Sakura would even think to bring that up, Ino glared at her 'friend' and said, "That comparison isn't even close, Forehead. Even though Choji and I never worked out as a couple, I was still nice to him when we broke up, which is why we're still friends. But you played on Naruto's feelings for you without a care in the world as to what would happen to him – only that he went after Sasuke, and convinced him to come back to the village so that you could stake your claim to him. And that's exactly what happened."

Sakura smirked, thinking she hit upon an emotional nerve. "It sounds like someone is jealous because I ended up with Sasuke, and she didn't."

Ino folded her arms defensively across her chest. "Sasuke isn't a prize in some contest, Sakura. And that's not what this is about."

"That's where you're wrong, Ino. To me, Sasuke is the ultimate prize. Ever since I was young, I've loved Sasuke and no one else. I dreamed of us getting married, as well as helping him get past all of the hatred he carried regarding the Uchiha massacre. **I** was going to be the one to help him rebuild his clan." She cocked her head to the side, as if she came to a realization. "If you stop and think about it, Hinata and I share exactly the same situation. I ended up with my prince charming just like she did, and I feel the same way about Sasuke that she does about Naruto." Sakura bared her teeth and spat, "He's **MINE**, no one else can have him and I'll be damned if someone else thinks they can take him away from me without a fight."

Ino shook her head ruefully. "Not that you seem to notice, but your situation and Hinata's are entirely different. Yes, Hinata loved Naruto from the beginning, but unlike you she didn't connive and scheme to get him. It took some time because of her shyness, but she confessed her love and waited to see if he would come to her – not that the thick headed baka ever did anything about it. And yes, they ended up together but it would have happened sooner if you hadn't screwed things up with your manipulations by dating Naruto in the first place."

She gave her former teammate a withering glance. "You know Sakura, Naruto and Sasuke have been gone almost two months. You've had plenty of time to tell anyone that was willing to hear you out that you're sorry about what you did, and that you're trying to turn over a new leaf. Instead, you've done nothing but remain in your own little fantasy world, showing absolutely ZERO remorse while waiting patiently for all of this to blow over."

Ino stood up, intending to leave as soon as the next words left her mouth. "Try to understand what I'm saying to you right now, Forehead. Get your priorities in order and reign in your twisted sense of self-entitlement, and do it soon. Whatever game you're playing, whatever it is you hope to gain at the end of it all has absolutely ZERO chance of succeeding – I guarantee it. Not that I think you'll take it, but my advice is that once Naruto gets back from wherever Kakashi-sensei sent him, you should beg for his forgiveness and hope he accepts your apology. You and I both know it's a foregone conclusion that he's going to be Hokage someday, and despite what you may think, he can make your life far more miserable than it already is when that happens."

Her back ramrod straight, Ino walked brusquely out of the tea house. Sakura watched her go, exasperated that she hadn't been able to make some headway with Ino, as well as realizing just how far her relationship with her classmates had fallen.

_Well, that certainly could have gone better. Inner Sakura said sarcastically. Why didn't you stick to the original plan and sound apologetic?_

Sakura growled inwardly. Deciding to keep her voice low, lest anyone think she was **_totally_** insane, she mumbled to herself, "She pissed me off. Between the insinuation of 'you don't give a shit about anyone but yourself', and her laying the blame for everything entirely at my feet, I lost my focus and went off script. I'm not taking the fall for other people's mistakes no matter what."

_You're missing the forest for the trees. You're not going to make any progress without conceding that you're the only one at fault, even though we both know you're not. Others share just as much blame as you do._

Sakura sighed in frustration. "So what now? After this, there's no doubt Ino will spread the word fast and no one's going to listen to anything I have to say. Maybe I should have just apologized from the start."

_I'm not sure it would have made a difference. I think it's best if we bide our time and wait for Sasuke to return to the village. When he does, if you talk to him and let him know you tried to apologize – which isn't really a lie, since technically you did – he'll help persuade the others to hear you out. Remember that you're carrying the heir to the Uchiha clan, which is a very powerful and influential thing. Between Sasuke offering us his assistance with the villagers and the impending birth of his son, you'll once again be the center of his world. And once we're back there, we're going take steps to ensure it remains that way. FOREVER._

* * *

**_***Time Skip – 53 days after leaving***_**

Hiashi tentatively walked into his office, wondering what was in store for him today. Two weeks ago they had doubled the guard in an effort to catch the mysterious prankster, or at the very least stop the pranks altogether. It had only partially worked, merely decreasing the frequency of events but somehow, she still managed to elude the guards. Hiashi was starting to think she was an ANBU because of how skilled she was at stealth techniques. Even more frustrating was the fact that since she had been forced to sacrifice the quantity of tricks, she had upped the quality to make up for it.

A week ago, she had replaced the goose down feathers in his pillow with a combination of chocolate, molasses and peanut butter. After laying his head on it and getting the sticky concoction in his hair, he tried to replace it with another pillow. Unfortunately, this triggered a small explosion, covering his face…and the bed…and the walls…and the ceiling…and part of the carpet in the stuff. Hiashi had been forced to sleep in one of the guestrooms that night, and then buy a new mattress the next day.

Three days ago, she had put industrial strength laxatives in his dinner. Normally this would have been embarrassing enough, but that night he decided to eat with the clan elders, and everyone unfortunately had a portion of his 'special dish'. The rest of the night hadn't been very pleasant, whether you were one of the people who ate the meal, or just happen to be around someone who did. They were forced to call a plumber, who charged them three times the normal rate because of the size of their 'problem'.

So when he woke up that morning, just to be on the safe side he decided to be extra cautious as he entered his offce. He slowly walked across the floor – no traps there – and gingerly touched his chair in several places to see if anything happened.

_Hiashi smiled. Nothing was sticky, fell apart or blew up. Perhaps today is my lucky day, He thought. Maybe the guards finally intimidated her enough to at least take the rest of the week off._

Having no idea that he'd just jinxed himself, Hiashi sat down at his desk and opened the top drawer. Before he had a chance to react, a brown cloud of some sort exploded all over his upper body. Hiashi waved his hands to clear the air, coughing loudly in an effort to clear his nose and throat. After several seconds of doing this the cloud dissipated, and he curiously sniffed the sleeve of his robe to see if he could identify the substance, which smelled like a mixture of several baking spices and mint leaves.

He was still wondering what it could be when he happened to look down. There, in the middle of the drawer was a note with his name printed on the outside. At this point, he was pissed off enough that he didn't care anymore, so he threw caution to the wind and ripped the note open to read…

_Here's a hint…its extra potent catnip._ He furrowed his brow in confusion. "Catnip? Why in the world would she…"

_"Mwwrarr?"_

Hiashi looked up; his train of thought interrupted by the sound of what appeared to be a cat. A large Tabby was sitting atop his file cabinet, idly licking one of its front paws. For a brief second, he wondered not only how the animal had gotten into his office, but why it was even there at all.

Then the cat stopped licking its paw and glared at him, sporting one of the most evil, feral grins he'd ever seen. Then he remembered the note and suddenly, everything clicked together because he knew where he'd seen the animal before…

_It belonged to the Fire Daimyo's wife. It was the demon cat Tora._

* * *

Across the compound, Kō was sitting at a table enjoying a pastry and his morning cup of tea. He was pretty sure that Hiashi was going to be calling for him soon; several guards had spied the mysterious naked prankster running through the halls again last night. What Hiashi didn't know however, was that Kō had told them to be purposely negligent in trying to apprehend her. He'd done this for two reasons – one, he had a decent idea of who the naked woman might be, and two – he found that watching Hiashi be the brunt of someone's jokes was absolutely hilarious. So it came as no surprise when a scream was heard throughout the compound…

_"AAAAUUUUGGGGHHHH! GET IT OFF ME, GET IT OFF! FOR KAMI'S SAKE, IT WON'T STOP BITING ME! HOW THE HELL CAN A CAT BE THIS FAST? CATCHING THIS THING SHOULD BE AN A-RANK MISSION, NOT A D-RANK!"_

Kō smiled and took a sip of his tea, laughing inwardly at the images playing through his head right now. From what he'd just heard, Hiashi was more than likely being chased around his office by Tora, who had probably been given some 'extra incentive' to attack the clan head. He leaned back in his chair, enjoying the sounds of terror coming from the other side of the compound and sighed contentedly, before saying out loud to no one in particular…

"Without a doubt, the last thirty days around here have been the **BEST…MONTH…EVER**."

* * *

**_***Time Skip – 68 days after leaving***_**

It was sometime around nine o'clock in the morning in Konoha, when two men appeared at the front gates in a flash of yellow light. The men looked tired and weary, but the smile on their faces told everyone who saw them that they were VERY glad to be back.

Naruto took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Ahhh, home sweet home. Never thought I would miss it this much, even including the eight years I spent away from the village before."

Sasuke snickered and said, "That's only because you've got a wife and son to come home to now. You probably wouldn't miss this place so much if you didn't."

"Point taken." He turned to look at the guards. "Hey guys. Nice to see you again. Anything interesting happen while we were gone?"

Kotetsu and Izumo looked at each other for a moment, before breaking out with sly grins. Naruto and Sasuke couldn't help but notice the exchange, wondering what they knew and might be hiding.

Izumo said offhandedly, "Oh, the usual. A couple of strange visitors stopped by about a month ago, and there's been quite a bit of tension between a few of your classmates. Anything else besides that will have to wait, though – there are standing orders for the two of you to head straight to the Hokage's office once you've returned, and any questions you might have will be answered during your debriefing."

Sasuke nodded and said, "Well, I suppose we can wait another five minutes…" His voice trailed off as he stared in the direction of the Hokage tower, wondering if what he was seeing was simply a mirage or perhaps an elaborate genjustu.

He blinked his eyes a few times and shook his head. Still staring in disbelief, he activated his Sharingan.

_There was no change. What he saw was all too real. "Hey, dobe…"_

"Huh?" Naruto was concentrating on filling out the form in front of him. "Something wrong, teme?"

Sasuke smacked him on the shoulder and said, "You'll definitely want to see this…"

Naruto looked in the direction Sasuke was pointing, which was directly at the Hokage Monument. His eyes widened in surprise as he saw that a new face was in the process of being constructed, and although it was only about two-thirds complete there was no denying who it might be, because the whisker marks on the cheeks were clearly visible.

Naruto snapped his head back around to glare at Kotetsu and Izumo, who were staring back at him with barely suppressed mirth. Caught off guard and not liking it, he pointed at the Hokage Monument and growled, "Care to explain what the fuck that is?"

Kotetsu decided to play dumb, looking curiously in the direction Naruto was pointing. He offhandedly said, "That? Oh yeah, that! Well, in Konoha we carve the face of each leader into the side of the mountain…"

Naruto snapped at him, clearly not amused by his mocking tone of voice. "That's not what I'm talking about, smartass! I want to know exactly why **MY FACE** is up there!"

"I should think that's pretty obvious." The two men smirked and stood up behind their desk, before bowing low and saying…

"Welcome back to the village…**_Hokage-sama_**."

* * *

A/N: Dun Dun DUUUUUNNNNN! Bet you didn't see THAT coming, did you? HA! Score one for alcohol and bad judgement!

Okay, I've calmed down now. Seriously, this chapter had more happening than the last one and I think everyone can agree that it's good to have Naruto back. Things can start moving along now – not that they weren't over the last two chapters, but somehow it's just better with him around. It's kind of like how McDonald's fries taste better when you eat them out of the bag on the way home, instead of sitting on the paper that the burger came wrapped in. It's one of the great mysteries of the cosmos.

Okay, maybe that wasn't such a good analogy. But I couldn't pass up a chance to mention how TOTALLY AWESOME eating McDonald's fries out of the bag on the way home is. Yum.

So to summarize…Hinata discovered the secret regarding the money and told Hanabi (and also Konohamaru by extension). Hanabi and Tenten are pregnant. Hinata and Hikaru completed their training. Kakashi suspects that Hikaru is an Uzumaki Fūinjutsu prodigy. Hinata finds out about the mistake in her training. Tsunade has been in a drunken stupor for over a month, and Hinata grinds her face in the fact of how bad she fucked up.

Hiashi has been on the receiving end of some pranks – and I didn't make them too bad, because Hikaru is only eight years old after all, and I didn't want him to do anything too severe – and he gets attacked by Tora at the end. For those of you who keep wondering how the cat is still alive, I'm running under the assumption that when one cat passes on, it's replaced by another one with equal or greater demonic prowess. Yikes.

Sakura and Ino have a conversation, which is brought about by the fact that the roles for Sakura and Hinata have been reversed in the village, and rightfully so. Then we finish up with the big shocker…but how did that happen with Naruto out of the village? You'll just have to tune in next chapter to find out!

**_Recommendation time!_** Okay, once again I'm going to give a shout out to a story that's really good but deserves some traction, whether it's in the form of favorite/following a story or reviewing it. And when I get hooked on a story, I believe that's as good an endorsement as any, since it takes quite a bit to draw me in and keep me there.

So do yourself a favor and read **A Reluctant Return by gigiree123**. It follows a similar theme to The Ring That Binds (which I've recommended before), where there's a bit of angst between Naruto and Hinata, plenty of misunderstandings and romantic tension galore. It just SMACKS of subtle plot lines and intrigue, and I love reading it. If you decide to check it out and like what you read, put it on your favorite/follow list and leave a review. I'm sure the author will appreciate the support and frankly, he deserves it.

Here's the link, as usual remove the spaces and you know what to replace the stars with:

www . fanfiction . *** / s / 9865864

**_IMPORTANT POLL!_** So I told everyone last chapter that I had a very important poll on my profile page. Just to refresh everyone's memory, it's a choice between two options for the next chapter of the story. The first is a long, hot and steamy lemon scene with Hinata. The second option is that I advance the plot and don't bother with the lemon scene at all (also known as a lime).

_To date, I have 72 total votes. And personally, I think that number should be MUCH bigger._

So I'm going to leave the poll open for this chapter as well. If you haven't voted, please do – I want to write what the majority of my readers want to see. And if you HAVE voted, then please accept my thanks. **DON'T FORGET TO VOTE!**

So what's coming up? We find out just how Naruto's face got on the mountain, PLUS Sakura gives birth to the Uchiha heir. There's a big shocker coming for Temari and Shikamaru. Hiashi and Naruto will have a talk about many things dealing with the Hyūga clan. And then there's the information Freyja has for Naruto, as well as Kakashi and his crush on the female Mienai Segi. SO STAY TUNED!

**REVIEWS!** So I hit my mark for reviews last chapter – and I'd like to thank each and every person who left me a review, including the guests. I'm setting the bar high once again, hoping I can hit at least 925 before the next chapter is released, which may take some time for a couple of reasons – one, I need to find out the poll results and write the story accordingly – and two, I need to go back and do some story cleanup. A few authors and readers pointed out some things that need to be addressed, and both me and my OCD are very grateful that they did.

But don't let that discourage you! I love reviews and want more of them! So take a few seconds at the end and leave one for me because I appreciate it more than you know. And as usual, my promise is that the more reviews you leave then the faster I release the next chapter. I mean, I only know of a handful of writers who can say they've pushed out almost 200,000 words in six months. It's in your hands, my fellow readers!

That's all for now. Take care and stay safe.

Serious Sam


	20. Ch 19: Shichidaime Hokage

19\. Shichidaime Hokage

**_Oh, my God! They killed Kenny! You bastards! Welcome to Chapter 19!_**

Chapter 19, where Naruto and Sasuke return to the village and the question is finally answered…how did Naruto get to be named Hokage? But before we get into that, POLL RESULTS!

With 78% of the vote, my readers gave an overwhelming victory to a LEMON scene, so I made good on my word and wrote one. However, in order to try and placate everyone else I wrote this one quite a bit different. I tried to make it more romantic and lustful, and a lot less vulgar than my last one. There's very little conversation that takes place during the whole thing, and I went more with a 'show me don't tell me' kind of approach. I've clearly marked where it is, and you don't need to read it to understand the rest of the story. But I've been told by the people who proofread it for me that it's pretty hot…

I originally was going to wait a few more days to release this, but since it's Valentine's Day I thought this would be a great present for my readers, with the lemon scene and all. Also, to compensate for the lack of many things happening in this chapter, I wrote quite a bit of information discovery at the beginning and at the end. I hope everyone likes the result.

As always, I'd like to give the standard thanks and shout-outs to various people for helping me with my story. As I mention every chapter, reader interaction is very important to me and although this is MY story, great ideas can come from anywhere.

Thank you to fellow author **Titokhan** for helping me out, as well as my anonymous beta for his continued efforts and support. They give me confidence and make my job more enjoyable by supporting me through thick and thin. Thanks a bunch, and I appreciate everything you guys do for me.

**Raja-Ulat:** Gets credit for the meeting between Sakura and Ino from last chapter, where Sakura tries to get Ino's support – as well as the depths of Sakura's obsession with Sasuke. I had planned on using another character but this idea was too juicy to pass up.

**Arcana37210:** There were several tweaks in the sex scene that he offered, and I made them based on his input. Thanks for your help and ideas!

**Hektols:** The idea of someone threatening to rip up the adoption agreement was his. Thank you!

**Odinson91:** Gets credit for the idea of some interaction between Hikaru and Reira going forward. You'll see some reference to it in this chapter. Appreciate it!

**Kingkakashi:** You made some good points in your review, so the bank teller thing is explained here for my readers. Thanks, man!

**Aggammenonn:** Offered some advice on how to write my story so that it would sound and flow much better. I'm trying, dude! Hope it shows some noticeable improvement!

Also for the purposes of my story, Naruto didn't master various aspects of his Second Stage Tailed Beast Transformation during the 4th shinobi war. There is a bit of justification for this, if you check out Chapter 616 of the manga. I just stretched things a bit.

And last but not least, let's clear something up before I get PM's about it…I know there's two ways to say 'Seventh Hokage', Shichidaime and Nanadaime. I like Shichidaime and I'm going to use that. 'Nuff said.

This chapter is dedicated to the following authors who made mention of my story in their own works. If you haven't checked their stories out, you have NO idea what you're missing! Thank you so much for your support and encouragement!

**Weirdismyname – Beyond an Hieress' Purpose**

**Softwinds – The Ring That Binds**

**Gigiree123 – A Reluctant Return**

**OGAFazer89AC – Path To The Future**

So without further ado, here's this month's disclaimer. Had to dig a bit to come up with one, but without a doubt it's one of my favorite movie lines of all time!

**_Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto. And I have to say, you're quite the skilled swordsman._**

**_Swordsman – Thank you. I have been training since I was eleven years old, dedicating my life to the study of fencing._**

**_Disclaimer – Why would you do such a thing?_**

**_Swordsman – My father was killed by a six-fingered man, and I will find him no matter how long it takes. When I do, I will look into his eyes and say, "Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die." (+1 if you get the reference.)_**

* * *

Chapter 19 - Shichidaime Hokage

"Welcome back to the village…**_Hokage-sama_**."

Stone faced, Naruto stared at the two guards, irritated at their evasive answer to his question. "You guys think this is REAL funny, don't you? Well, I'm not laughing at your little joke. You both know something, so how about you spill…"

Sasuke clapped his hand down on Naruto's shoulder, interrupting him. "Dobe, I know you're upset but you need to keep it in check. There's no way these two had anything to do with your face being on the Hokage Monument, and they just said that any questions we had would be answered at our debriefing. So let's just get to Kakashi's office and find out what's going on."

Naruto glanced quickly at his brother, before continuing to glare coldly at the two guards. After a few seconds, he grunted in agreement. "All right. But let's use the shunshin to get there. I don't feel like dealing with any of the villagers until I get to the bottom of this."

Sasuke agreed, and after sparing the guards a withering look, the two men disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

Kotetsu and Izumo stared at each other for a second, and then both men collapsed onto the ground, laughing uproariously and holding their sides. After a solid minute of this, their laughter died down and they stood back up, wiping the tears from their eyes as they composed themselves.

"Well, that was fun." Kotetsu said. "What do you think's going to happen when he finds out who's responsible for his face being up there?"

"I'm betting our new Hokage will change his tune rather quickly." Izumo replied. "I mean, let's face it – he's got no choice but to take the job and be happy about it. I wouldn't want to be him if he doesn't."

* * *

"So based off of our current ANBU availability, patrols can't be maintained throughout the village as well as the outer perimeter. Shifts will have to be extended from eight hours to twelve if we can't find additional personnel to help out, and I'd recommend against that if at all possible. We're being stretched too thin as it is, and it's reducing the effectiveness of everyone under my command."

After listening to the ANBU captain give his report, Kakashi groaned. Another day of menial tasks and decisions lied before him, and for what seemed like the hundredth time in the past week he wondered when Naruto would return to the village, saving him from the endless hours of tedium this job produced.

"Reduce the patrols to the minimum required amount in the areas surrounding the Hyūga, Inuzuka and Aburame clans, and have an authorized representative from each one meet me here at eleven o'clock. I'm going to ask them to help out for the time being, since they have the personnel to spare and hold a vested interest in maintaining security around their compounds. I don't want…"

His voice trailed off, as he sensed two large chakra signatures appear suddenly outside the Hokage Tower. Kakashi didn't have to guess too hard at who it might be, since they **WERE** former students of his, after all.

Knowing that the ANBU captain felt it as well, he struck an assertive tone and said, "Naruto and Sasuke are back. Make yourself scarce, and tell the rest of the ANBU that I don't want to be interrupted unless there's an emergency, or you hear something explode. Trust me when I say that it's in your best interest to keep **EVERYONE** away from my office for the duration of this conversation."

The captain nodded, understanding exactly what the Hokage was hinting at. He disappeared in a cloud of smoke, planning to get the word out as fast as possible.

The timing couldn't have been more perfect, because about five seconds after that Naruto barged into the office, with what appeared to be a slightly amused Sasuke following behind him. Doing his best to keep from laughing at the sight, Kakashi remained impassive and said dryly, "Welcome back to the village, you two. I'm guessing the mission was a resounding success. Why don't you sit down and we can talk all about it?"

Naruto narrowed his eyes, clearly not amused with his former teacher and his laid-back attitude. "How about before I do, you tell me why I just saw **MY FACE** going up on the Hokage Monument?"

Kakashi raised his eyebrow. "I should think that's obvious. It's because you have been named Shichidaime Hokage. What other reason would there be?"

Naruto growled, "Now you sound EXACTLY like those two jokers at the front gate. They told me that any other questions I might have would be answered once I got to your office, so now that I'm here you need to start talking. I want to know just **HOW** I got elected to be the Seventh Hokage, despite the fact that I've been out of the village for over two months and never signed anything or agreed to it before I left."

Kakashi sighed, before gesturing to the chairs in front of him. "I'm more than happy to explain, but please close the door and sit down so that I can put up the privacy seals. Your mission WAS an S-ranked secret, and I'd really like to talk about that after I answer your question. Will that suffice?"

Naruto and Sasuke exchanged a glance, then nodded to each other in agreement. Naruto sat down and after closing the door, Sasuke joined him. Kakashi put up the privacy seals, and then started rummaging around in his desk while he explained.

"Now, as to exactly HOW you were named as the Seventh Hokage is actually quite simple. About two weeks after you left, I approached Hinata during one of our daily training sessions, and pitched the idea of you becoming Hokage once you returned to the village. She thought it was a wonderful idea, and reasoned to herself that not only would you be thrilled at having finally achieved your childhood dream, but also with how hard she worked to actually make it happen."

Naruto grunted and said, "Using Hinata like that is pretty underhanded, Kakashi-sensei. But it doesn't make a difference, because I never signed anything agreeing to become Hokage in the first place."

Kakashi eye smiled at him. "Ah, but you see that's where you're wrong." Finally finding what he was looking for, he pulled out a scroll and held it up. "With everything you've had going on in your life lately, it probably slipped your mind that Konoha law stipulates that when the clan head is out of the village or unable to perform his or her duties, their spouse becomes their duly authorized representative. This includes, but is certainly not limited to things such as finances, the creation and signing of legal documents regarding clan matters, and voting on items that are presented at council meetings."

He tossed the scroll to Naruto, who deftly caught it. "Hinata, being your duly authorized representative had the agreement drawn up, and presented it to the council the following week. She made a very impassioned plea for them to approve it, going into great detail about how much you've done for the village despite the horrible way you were treated during the first twelve years of your life. Surprisingly enough, the vote was unanimous – even the Hyūga and Uchiha clans voted in favor of it – and the agreement was passed, effective once you returned from your mission."

As Naruto read the scroll, he realized that for once the meticulous Hyūga nature had worked against him, as the agreement appeared ironclad. As his gaze rose from the page, he saw the look in Kakashi's eye and knew his former teacher was inwardly laughing at the situation.

"You can say no, of course." Kakashi continued, in an amused tone of voice. "But you should know that if you do, the council will NEVER approve of another request for you to become Hokage. Plus, you'd be diminishing all of the time and effort that Hinata put into making this happen, basically saying 'thanks but no thanks' and more than likely hurting her terribly in the process. But like I said…It's totally up to you."

The two men stared at each other in a contest of wills. Naruto knew he had no choice but to accept. Kakashi knew that Naruto knew he had no choice but to accept. And Sasuke knew that Kakashi had given Naruto no choice but to accept…and started to chuckle softly.

Naruto scowled at him. "It's not funny, teme!"

"Are you kidding? It's fucking hilarious!" He pointed at Kakashi. "Before we left, you threatened him with at least ten more years on the job, dangling that carrot over his head while thinking you had at least a couple more years of freedom before you took over. Then, he deviously turns the tables on you by exploiting a legal loophole you forgot about, making you Hokage as soon as you got back to the village rather than when you felt like it, nullifying your potential threat." He pointed at Naruto. "And YOU can't say no! You HAVE to take the job, because if you don't you'll **NEVER** get the chance again. And besides, if you say no you'll also hurt Hinata, and we all know there's no way you're going to do that – especially after everything she's been through over the last eight years."

Sasuke grinned wholeheartedly and exclaimed, "Don't you get it, dobe? He backed you into a corner and you're screwed! Kakashi-sensei **OUT FOXED THE FOX!"**

As soon as the statement left his mouth, Sasuke broke out into laughter. The sight was an odd thing for Kakashi to see, as he couldn't remember an instance – not even once – where he'd seen Sasuke like this. It was actually quite contagious, and coupled with the fact that it was at Naruto's expense, it sent Kakashi over the edge as well and he joined in, laughing at his former student.

Naruto had a biting retort planned, but before he could say anything another voice intruded on the conversation.

**_The statement by the Uchiha is slightly offensive, but he is right you know. The one-eyed pervert DID outfox you._**

_You're not helping, Kurama. He played me while I was away from the village and now he's forcing my hand._

**_You were going to take the job anyway, Naruto. The only difference is that the decision as to when you were going to accept has been made for you, rather than allowing you to make the choice on your own. We both know that you're not going to do anything to hurt your mate, and I think you're forgetting that it will be a source of pride for your kit as well._**

Naruto knew that Kurama was right, but it didn't change how he felt about the situation. He face-palmed and said, "I hate you SO MUCH right now, Kakashi-sensei."

"That's okay, Naruto. You can hate me all you want while I'm in retirement."

He grunted in resignation, placing the scroll on the desk. "Fine, I'll take the job. But you'll fill in for me while I'm gone from the village for any reason. Agreed?"

Kakashi nodded. "Agreed. It's the least I can do for giving you the job in this way." He took a deep breath and let it out, trying to relax and dispel some of the tension in the room. "So, not that I'm purposely trying to change the subject but tell me – how did the mission go?"

Naruto smirked. "Surprisingly well, actually. Turns out Sasuke here is a natural fit for Mienai Segi training."

"Really? Why is that?"

"Well, a good portion of Mienai Segi training consists of learning how to control your emotions. Since he's pretty much done that for most of his life, it accelerated things tremendously. The rest was just coming to terms with certain…revelations regarding his clan, and learning a few forbidden jutsu."

Kakashi reminded himself of their conversation in his office several months ago, and understood why Naruto was being purposely vague at the moment. He knew that both men were not allowed to give him specific information when it came to the Mienai Segi, but he could probably still ask some general questions.

He looked at Sasuke and asked curiously, "What name did they give you?"

Sasuke said dryly, "Thanatos."

"And just who is that, exactly?"

"He's the demon personification of death in one of the lands in the west. Kind of like the shinigami is to us."

"That's…interesting." Kakashi said hesitantly. "Any particular reason why Saladin gave you that name?"

Sasuke shrugged. "There's two reasons, actually. First of all, when I showed him Susanoo he thought it looked like the embodiment of death. And second, apparently I've got a real knack for performing deadly forbidden jutsu."

He found the statement a bit disturbing. The fact that someone as powerful as Saladin recognized how good Sasuke was at killing people, and gave him a name to match that skill sent a shiver down Kakashi's spine.

"Just how many forbidden jutsu did you learn, Sasuke?"

He furrowed his brow in thought. "Four; maybe five total. The last one is kind of hit or miss at the moment."

Kakashi was silent for a moment as he absorbed that information. As much as he wanted to ask just what those forbidden jutsu were, he knew his efforts would be fruitless because they weren't going to tell him.

Without knowing why, an image of Freyja suddenly flashed into his mind and Kakashi was reminded of their meeting a little over a month ago. He remembered the last question he had asked her that day and decided to ask Sasuke the same thing, since it was probably the only other question he would get an answer to.

"Where are your tattoos?" He pointed at Sasuke's forearms, which were bare. "Since you completed the initial training, I'm assuming you have them somewhere."

Sasuke pulled the sleeve on his left arm up. There, tattooed on his shoulder in bright red ink was the kanji symbol for 'strength'. Kakashi assumed the other tattoo was on his right, although he wasn't sure what the symbol was, since he'd never really gotten a good look at the ones Naruto possessed.

He grunted in acknowledgement, before turning his gaze towards Naruto and asking, "How about you? What did you get out of your training?"

"Well, the most important thing was that I dealt with my anger issues as far as Sakura is concerned."

Kakashi eye grew wide at the statement. "That's a bit shocking. After everything that's happened, I'm surprised that you'd forgive her so easily."

The look on his face became stern, and Naruto quickly corrected him. "Don't misunderstand what I'm saying, Kakashi-sensei. I'll never forget what she did, and she's got a long way to go before she earns my forgiveness, but as of this moment my attitude towards her is that I simply don't care."

Kakashi pondered that statement, wondering if he should even discuss what's been going on between Sakura and the rest of the Konoha twelve. He decided to table that discussion for tomorrow, since it might be too much with Sasuke in the room.

Naruto offhandedly continued, "Saladin taught me two new skills, and I learned one more forbidden jutsu." Then the look on his face changed, as he remembered something important. "Oh, and one more thing – I finally mastered level two of the Tailed Beast Mode Transformation."

He raised his eyebrow inquisitively. "I'm confused, Naruto. I was under the assumption that you had already mastered the second stage transformation, since you did it several times during the fourth shinobi war."

Naruto said flippantly, "That's only because Kurama was helping me out. Every time after that when I tried to do something other than the basics, I'd have problems controlling it because of some deep-seated anger issues." His gaze suddenly became melancholy, as he thought about the last battle between Sasuke and himself. He remembered very little; some parts were a blur while most of it was a complete blank. However, he was pretty sure that at some point, he'd done a full transformation in order to take down Sasuke and his Susanoo manifestation. By the time Kakashi had found them afterwards, he'd returned to normal and Sasuke was reluctant to talk about what had happened, even after all these years and their recent bond as brothers.

He broke his line of thought and focused his gaze back on Kakashi. "Since we had that ceremony the day after my wedding where Kurama gave me full access to his power, I now have far better control than before. I just needed some specialized training from Saladin, along with letting go of my anger towards Sakura to make it happen."

Kakashi nodded in understanding. Naruto had quite a bit of things in his life to be angry about – especially the entire situation with Sakura – but it was nice to see that he was moving past that to a better place, and reaping some rewards because of it.

Naruto leaned casually back in his chair. "So Kakashi-sensei, we've been gone for over two months and before I left, I asked you to train Hinata to learn her new technique, and teach Hikaru the Rasengan. How'd that go?"

Both Naruto and Sasuke saw his manner change, noticing that Kakashi was now extremely pleased with himself. "Very well, actually. I…"

Kakashi was interrupted by a knock at the door. After giving permission to enter, an ANBU with an eagle mask walked in and said, "I apologize for the interrupting your meeting Lord Hokage, but my captain felt it best to let Sasuke-san know that Lady Sakura's water broke about fifteen minutes ago, and she's gone into the first stages of labor."

Sasuke glanced at Naruto and said, "She's about a week early." Concerned, he turned to the ANBU and asked, "Where is my wife now?"

Eagle bowed his head submissively. "We've already brought her to the hospital. However, she has no idea that you are back from your mission yet. She's been admitted and is currently in the maternity ward. I'm sure she'd be very happy to see you."

Sasuke gave Kakashi a look that was both anxious and inquisitive. "Do you need me here for the remainder of this conversation, Kakashi-sensei? I'd like to join Sakura in the hospital as soon as possible."

Kakashi shook his head. "No, the rest of this conversation concerns Naruto and his family, so you can go. However, I'm going to need you back here tomorrow morning to have another discussion about the Mienai Segi."

He narrowed his eyes, suddenly on guard. "I believe Naruto and I have already given you as much information as we can, Kakashi-sensei. I fail to see what else there is to discuss."

"I'm not sure as to the exact content of the information, but trust me when I say there's still another conversation to be had about the Mienai Segi. And both of you are going to be very shocked when you find out what the source is."

Sasuke grunted, still skeptical about the statement. "Fine. Send someone for me in the morning when you're ready."

Naruto stood and extended his hand warmly. "Good luck, Sasuke. I hope all goes well, and that soon you'll be the proud father of a healthy baby Uchiha. And I know it's a bit early, but congratulations."

Sasuke shook his hand. "Thanks, Naruto. And congratulations to you as well. I know you'll be a great Hokage." And with that, he quickly turned and followed the ANBU out of the door, closing it behind him.

"Well, that was certainly unexpected." Naruto said, before turning his gaze back to Kakashi. "So you were saying that the training went well?"

Kakashi nodded. "Better than I expected, actually. In addition to completing their techniques, I made a few discoveries that I'm sure you'll be interested in hearing about."

Naruto raised his eyebrows, suddenly curious. "Really? Like what?"

"Well, it turns out the Hyūga clan screwed up a good portion of Hinata's training when she was younger, which really shouldn't be surprising with their inflexible stick-up-the-ass mentality. Did you know that their clan techniques are based on lightning chakra affinity? And that Hinata's primary affinity isn't lightning, but water?"

A bit shocked, his eyes widened a bit and Naruto shook his head. "I knew that Hinata was a water type, but I never knew the rest. But that actually explains a lot; since she's told me on multiple occasions how difficult her training was when she was growing up. I'd ask why no one ever thought to check but I think we both know the answer to that question."

"I have no doubt about that." Kakashi agreed. "I should tell you though, that I plan on having Hinata continue to be a student of mine for the foreseeable future."

"Care to explain why, exactly?"

Kakashi sighed. He knew this line of questioning would be coming from Naruto, but he didn't want to give away anything specific just yet. "Because for the last month, I've basically been retraining Hinata to use her primary affinity of water, and we're THIS close to a major breakthrough." He said, holding up his thumb and forefinger an inch from each other. "And with all the jutsu I've copied over the years, I'm probably the closest thing to a jōnin water type this village has."

"But to be perfectly honest with you, I also have a more selfish reason for doing this." Kakashi said abashedly. "I'm well aware that as a sensei, I failed miserably at it. As good as I was at being an ANBU, I was _that_ bad at instructing genin fresh from the academy and there's no excuse I can give you for it."

"Right now, I'm doing a very good job teaching Hinata. I can't tell you everything we're working on, because she made me promise to keep it a secret so that she can surprise you with it later. But what I **CAN** tell you is that I'm beyond impressed with her progress. With the sole exception of you, I've never seen the Will of Fire burn so brightly in one of my students, as I have with Hinata."

His look became both pleading and remorseful. "I know she doesn't have to ask your permission, but I'm asking because of the respect I have for you, both as a person and a ninja of this village. Everyone else has been given an opportunity to make up for their mistakes, and this is **my** chance to do so. Allow me to continue instructing Hinata, and I swear that you won't be disappointed with the result."

Naruto carefully studied the man in front of him. There was a wide range of emotions not only in his gaze, but also within his voice. However, there were two that clearly stood out – sincerity and resolve. He truly believed that this was his last chance to instruct someone properly, and not only did he strongly believe in Hinata, but apparently Hinata also believed in him. If Kakashi had given her confidence that much of a boost, who was he to take that away from the woman he would do anything for? The woman who had given a tremendous amount of time and effort to make **him** Hokage?

Not that it mattered, of course. Kakashi was right when he said that Hinata could make her own decisions, regardless of his wishes.

Naruto briefly nodded his head in mock acceptance. "All right, you can continue to train Hinata until you believe there's nothing else you can teach her." A devilish smirk graced his face. "Besides, it'll give you something else to do in your retirement other than read Icha Icha books all day long."

The look in Kakashi's eye suddenly turned crestfallen. Apparently, he'd forgotten about that part and it gave Naruto a sense of satisfaction to see his former sensei would suffer just a teeny, tiny bit for being so dedicated and noble.

Naruto casually waved his hand and said, "Now before we got off on this little tangent, I believe you were also going to say something about Hikaru."

The words seemed to snap Kakashi out of his doldrums, and suddenly a mischievous glint appeared in his eye. "Yes, I did. Are you aware that your son is a true Uzumaki?"

Naruto furrowed his brow, somewhat baffled at the statement. "I'm not sure what you mean by that, Kakashi-sensei. Hikaru IS my son, so of course he'd be an Uzumaki."

Kakashi began rummaging around in his desk once again. "No, you're missing something significant, just like I almost did." He found what he was looking for and handed the folder to Naruto. "Take a look at this."

He opened the file and asked curiously, "What exactly am I looking at?"

"During our daily training sessions, I developed some suspicions about Hikaru and his abilities. So while you were away, I had several tests done in order to confirm my theories. What you hold in your hand are the results of those tests."

Naruto stared at the pages, not comprehending any of it. Clearly, analyzing scientific reports was not his strong suit. "I have no idea what this is, Kakashi-sensei. What are all these numbers on the page? And why are they in three different colors?"

Sighing in resignation, Kakashi pointed at the report and said, "The first report is a DNA Test. The three columns represent DNA from Sakura, Hikaru and you. Red indicates a low probability for a match, black is inconclusive and green indicates a high probability."

He pointed further down the page. "Now here, I've indicated several lines of data that have the most importance. While the test conclusively proves that both you and Sakura are his natural parents, it also shows that the only major trait Hikaru inherited from Sakura is her nearly perfect chakra control. Since neither of her parents were ninja - and we can't ask them any questions since they've both passed on - we're unable to use them as a point of reference for any skills that Hikaru would have developed."

He pointed to another section. "While both of your parents were ninja – and rather strong ones at that – the same pattern holds true for you, but in a different way because we have an actual point of reference. Hikaru inherited your wind chakra affinity, which you got from Minato – and yes, we had him tested for that as well. He also has very large chakra reserves for someone his age, but in all honestly that could be attributed either to you, Minato or Kushina."

He pointed at the last section. "However, the rest is entirely from your mother's bloodline. It's like the Uzumaki DNA overrode everything else. And before you ask, the answer is no – I've checked, and this isn't a common occurrence. It's actually quite rare."

Naruto stared at the report, absorbing every bit of information that Kakashi was throwing at him. He may not be a genius like Shikamaru, but he didn't need to be one to understand what Kakashi was implying about Hikaru.

"So…" The pride in his son was evident from his tone of voice, but his speech was still cautiously optimistic. "So, you just said that Hikaru has large chakra reserves. Tell me, just how large are they?"

Kakashi's eye lit up. "Well, I decided to have **THAT** little test done after Iruka told me about the stunt he pulled in class the day after you left. Apparently, after he announced you were his real father and no one believed him, he produced twenty shadow clones to prove his point."

"Twenty?" Naruto said, displeased. "I told him to make five shadow clones, not twenty. He's not getting it through his thick skull how dangerous that technique can be."

"Well, Iruka said that Hikaru got a bit strained after that and suffered a minor case of chakra exhaustion, so I think he's learned his limits. Besides, I wouldn't blame him too much Naruto. After all, he **IS** your son – I'm sure there's a line in the DNA report that proves he inherited that particular trait from you."

"Ha ha, Kakashi-sensei. You're so funny." Naruto said sarcastically. "So you were saying about Hikaru's chakra reserves?"

"Okay, so you know that your basic genin is around 200, chūnin are between 500 and 1000, tokubetsu jōnin start at 1500 and go up from there. Jōnin are around 3000, elite jōnin about 5000 and Kage level is 10,000 and above. Right?"

Naruto nodded and Kakashi prompted him to flip the page. He raised his eyebrows in surprise at the number. "812? Are you sure?"

"We ran the test three times, Naruto. I'm positive of the result. Your son currently has the chakra reserves of an above average chūnin, and he still has three years left before he graduates." Kakashi reached into his desk one last time. "And if that isn't enough to prove he's a true Uzumaki, there's this…"

He pulled out an explosive tag and handed it to Naruto, who stared at it with great interest. Curious, he brought it closer to his face, noticing there were subtle differences in this one compared to those he was familiar with. "I know for a fact that this is an explosive tag, but the symbology is more complex than anything I've ever seen before. Where did you get this?"

"Your son made it." Kakashi replied smugly.

Naruto's head snapped up, wondering if he'd actually heard him correctly. "Excuse me? Did you just say Hikaru made this?"

Kakashi nodded. "Yes, I did. The kid is a Fūinjutsu prodigy, and I can't say as I've ever seen anything like it. Over the last month, I've given him scrolls and textbooks from the village archives and he's been soaking up the information like a sponge." He gestured at the tag. "What you hold in your hand is the first thing he made on his own…simple, yet brilliant in design. A normal tag would just explode on the surface of whatever you attached it to, but this one 'seeps' highly volatile chakra into whatever is underneath, essentially exploding it from the inside out. The difference in damage is at least tenfold over the original, and I'm surprised no one ever thought of it before."

"Tenfold? How is that possible?"

"Think of it this way…" Kakashi held his hand flat. "…if you set off a firecracker in the palm of your hand, what happens? You'd probably just burn your hand, right?" Then he made a fist. "Now, if you close your hand around the same firecracker and set it off…Well, you're going to need someone to help you eat ramen for the rest of your life, because you won't be able to hold chopsticks anymore."

Naruto sat in silence, still staring at the explosive tag in awe. He was proud – **_so proud_** of Hikaru right now that words couldn't express how he was feeling. His son was truly something special.

Kakashi watched as Naruto's eyes glazed over, and the corners of his mouth turned up ever so slightly. He could almost see what thoughts were running through his head right now, but thought it best to end their conversation here.

Kakashi stood up and said, "I think that's enough for today. Why don't you head home? I know there's someone very important waiting for you there, and we can have that discussion about the Mienai Segi tomorrow morning."

"I have to agree with Sasuke about that, Kakashi-sensei." Naruto said tersely. "We've already given you as much information as we can, so I don't think there's anything else we need to talk about."

"And I'll repeat what I said earlier, Naruto. There's another conversation to be had about the Mienai Segi. But for the moment, all I'm asking is that you come to my office tomorrow morning when I send for you. Can you at least agree to that?"

That seemed innocent enough, Naruto reasoned to himself. Besides, tomorrow was going to be his first full day as Hokage of Konoha, and there was no way he was going to miss out on that.

Naruto stood up and said, "Yeah, I can do that. Send someone to get me in the morning. I'll see you then." And he vanished in a flash of yellow light.

For a moment, Kakashi stared at the empty space where Naruto had been standing, and then a wicked chuckle escaped his lips as he said out loud to himself…

"He thinks he's done with surprises? I wish I could see the look on his face when he walks into his house and finds out what's waiting for him there."

* * *

Naruto appeared at the front door of his house, still reeling from his meeting with Kakashi.

So much had happened while he was gone. On a basic level, Hinata and Hikaru had finished their techniques due to their training with Kakashi, but that appeared to be only the tip of the iceberg. Somehow, through an incredible stroke of luck Hikaru was a true Uzumaki, right down to the core of his being. The fact that he was a Fūinjutsu prodigy was just the proverbial icing on the cake.

For once, Kakashi had done a good job with training someone. Naruto had been surprised to learn that the Hyūga clan techniques were based on lightning – that piece of information really wasn't common knowledge, and he didn't think to ask how Kakashi found that out – and had actually made a concerted effort to retrain Hinata using her water affinity. The shocker had been that he'd asked to continue training her, even though that hadn't been part of the original agreement. Perhaps he saw the strength in Hinata that Naruto always knew was there, and she'd finally get the opportunity to rub it in the face of everyone too narrow-minded to see her true potential.

Yet all of this paled in comparison to him being named Hokage. Hinata had obviously put in a tremendous amount of time, effort and thought into making this happen while he was away from the village, obviously thinking that it would be a wonderful surprise to come home to. Kurama had been right – while he wasn't happy about the fact that the decision to become Hokage had been taken away from him, he couldn't be angry with Hinata about it. She'd simply wanted to do something thoughtful to show how much she loved him, as well as allowing him to finally realize his dream.

It had been a lot to take in, and he actually felt a bit relieved when Kakashi decided to call it a day. He didn't think he could take any more surprises right now.

He entered the house, hoping that the first thing he saw would be Hinata – if she was home, of course. Hikaru would still be at the academy at this time of the day, and he wouldn't be home for several hours. It would be nice to spend some time with his most precious person, and tell her how much he loved her, and missed her while he was gone.

However, he was a bit surprised to find someone else there. Someone unexpected and unfamiliar. And he wondered who she was, and what she was doing in his home.

A young girl, maybe five years old was sitting at his dining room table, eating Yakisoba with vegetables. Her hair was blonde, perhaps a shade or two lighter than his and it had been cut short. He watched as she picked up the noodles with her chopsticks and slurped them down noisily; grinning the entire time she did it. It seemed that she was enjoying the experience immensely.

Carefully, so as not to scare her Naruto slowly walked up to the table and waited for her to notice him. She stopped eating and looked up at him, the excitement on her face vanishing, only to be replaced by a guarded expression. She didn't recognize him, and was probably wondering what he was doing in the house at all.

Naruto looked back at her, immediately noticing the piercing blue color of her eyes and the childhood innocence that was reflected in them. He marveled at the calming effect they had on him.

"Hello there. My name is Naruto. Are you a friend of Hikaru's?" His tone was soft and gentle, and he gave her an unassuming smile as he introduced himself.

She tilted her head to the side, clearly a little confused. "You know Hikaru-kun?"

_Hikaru-kun?_ Naruto thought. _That's an interesting development._ "Yes, I do. He's my son, and this is my home. And you are…?"

They appeared to be the right words, because her face lit back up and the smile reappeared. "My name is Reira, mister Naruto sir."

"Reira, huh? That's a real pretty name. Tell me, do you happen to know where Hikaru's mother is?"

Reira raised her eyebrows in confusion. "You mean miss Hinata? I'm not sure, but my mom might know. You can ask her if you want."

"Umm, okay." None of this made any sense. Why was Reira in the house if Hinata wasn't? "Then can you show me where you live so I can talk to your mom?"

Reira blinked a few times, and then giggled happily before responding, "I live HERE, silly! And my mom's in the kitchen!"

A bucket of water dumped over his head would have had the same effect as the answer Reira just gave him. There were strange people living in his house with Hinata and Hikaru? Where did they come from? And why the hell were they staying here? Before he could say anything else, he heard a voice call out from the other room…

"Reira, we don't have any juice so I brought you some milk to go with…"

Freyja walked in the room and stopped, staring at Naruto. Naruto for his part was doing the same, wondering who this woman was and why she was even in his house. And then their eyes grew wide, as the sudden realization of their identities hit them both.

"Gabriel?"

"Freyja?" He said guardedly. "What…What are you doing here? Why are you in my home?" He pointed at Reira and asked, "Is…Is this your daughter?"

Freyja set down the glass of milk and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Your one-eyed leader asked your wife to set us up here, since she's the only one who knows about our organization. And yes, this is my daughter, Reira."

Reira smiled and waved at him. "Hello!"

"As to why I'm here, it's to see you. We need to talk. In private."

"Uh, sure. " Naruto remembered Freyja was never one to mince words, always being rather direct and brusque with her speech. "What about?"

Freyja narrowed her eyes accusingly. "I know where you've been for the last two months. And I know why you went. We need to talk about the snake in the garden."

It was then that Naruto remembered how adamant Kakashi had been, telling both him and Sasuke that there was another conversation to be had about the Mienai Segi. He also remembered his comment at the end, about someone important waiting for him at home. He'd just assumed that he was talking about Hinata, but it was obvious now that he meant more than that.

Before he could list in his head all the myriad ways he was going enact his revenge on Kakashi, he heard the front door open and a familiar voice called out, "Freyja! Reira! I'm back from the market. I bought juice and some…"

Hinata appeared in the entrance to the dining room, and Naruto felt his breath catch in his throat as he stared at his wife. He'd been right in what he'd said to himself the night before he left; two months away from her had felt like a lifetime, and a lump formed in his throat as he stared at the woman who held his heart. He drank in everything about her; the pale color of her skin, her lithe hourglass figure, her long indigo tresses and those eyes…those beautiful lavender eyes he had missed so much.

"Apples…" Hinata finished. She stood rigid, her eyes wide and frozen in shock as she stared at him, wondering if her mind was playing a cruel trick on her. She blinked a few times, unable to find her voice as she gave Naruto the same appraisal he was giving her, and praying to Kami that this wasn't a figment of her imagination, but actually WAS real.

His hair was now longer, and he wore it in the same style as his father, Minato Namikaze. He somehow seemed to have gained a bit more muscle, especially in his arms and chest – or perhaps it was a trick of the light, since she hadn't seen him in two months. The blue in his eyes seemed so much deeper, as if a great weight had been lifted from his soul, and she found herself becoming lost in their depths.

She dropped the bag she was carrying and the side split, allowing a few apples to roll across the floor. She took a half step towards him, hesitant and afraid that if she moved too fast this would all disappear, like every other dream she'd had since her husband left.

"Na…Naruto-kun? Is…Is that really you?" Hinata said timidly.

He smiled knowingly, realizing what she was asking without actually saying the words. He poured all the love he had for her through the seal, to let her know that he wasn't an illusion, and actually WAS here.

"Yes, Hinata-hime. It's really me and I'm really home. Did you miss…mrgfdhrdgph!"

He couldn't finish the sentence because Hinata had closed the gap between them in an instant, jumping on him and wrapping her legs around his waist. His hands caught her; grabbing her ass to support her as she fisted his long blond hair, as well as helping to maintain his balance and remain standing. Her lips crashed down upon his, aggressively forcing her tongue into his mouth to kiss him, making the last word he'd tried to say nothing more than a garbled mess.

_I guess she_ **_DID_** _miss me,_ Naruto thought as he returned the kiss with an equal amount of passion.

After a few seconds, Hinata broke the kiss and exclaimed, "Freyja! Go to the park with Reira! NOW!"

"I still need to talk to Gabriel. And we haven't finished lunch yet." Freyja responded apathetically.

_"TALK LATER! EAT LUNCH AT ICHIRAKU'S! PUT IT ON OUR TAB! NOW_ **_GO!_**_"_ Hinata shouted, all the while giving Naruto a look that made his knees weak. The tone of her voice made it clear that she would brook no argument from the member of the Mienai Segi, and deciding this was an argument she had no chance of winning, Freyja grunted in agreement and quickly lead her daughter out of the house, closing the door behind her.

As they walked side by side towards Ichiraku Ramen, Freyja hoped they would make it there in silence and avoid having to answer the obvious questions she knew were bubbling in the back of her daughter's mind. As her bad luck would have it, they made it all of about a minute before Reira decided to say something.

"Mom? Was that the man we came here to see?"

Freyja nodded. "Yes sweetie, it is."

"Miss Hinata seemed awfully glad to see him. She even hugged him with her legs." Curious, she looked at her mother and asked, "Why did she do that?"

Freyja let out a long breath. She was going to have to tell Reira a few white lies to get out of fully explaining what they just saw. "Well, when you like someone a whole lot, that's how you hug them."

"Really? I like Hikaru-kun a whole lot. I should I hug him like that next time I see him!"

"No you will not!" Freyja said firmly, horrified at the thought. Then she furrowed her brow in confusion and asked, "And since when do you refer to him as Hikaru-kun anyway?"

Reira grinned and started skipping down the road. "Since yesterday. I decided that when I grow up, I'm gonna marry him."

Freyja smirked dubiously. "Is that right? And pray tell, what makes Hikaru so special that you want to do that?"

Reira ticked off the items on her fingers. "Well, because he's real nice to me. And he tries to protect me whenever we go somewhere together, like the park. He's strong, and he's really cute. Oh, and I like how his chakra makes me feel."

Freyja had been nodding her head, humoring her daughter and her apparent infatuation with the boy until she made the last point. She brought the two of them to a halt in the middle of the street and gave Reira a piercing stare. "Wait a minute, what do you mean you like how his chakra makes you feel?"

"Hikaru-kun's chakra is really warm, Mom. It's like he has the sun inside him. It's nice."

Freyja was shocked. "You…You can feel other people's chakra? Not just how powerful they are, but what it actually feels like?"

Reira nodded enthusiastically. "I sure can, Mom."

Freyja knelt down in front of her daughter and searched her eyes in curiosity. She gently asked, "How…How long have you been able to do this?"

She shrugged. "As far back as I can remember. I've gotten better at it, though."

Her eyes still searching, she pursed her lips and asked the only other question she could think of at the moment. "Reira, what does my chakra feel like?"

She pondered that for a bit before saying, "Rocks. It's kinda like walking barefoot on sharp rocks."

The look on Freyja's face suddenly turned downtrodden, ashamed that her daughter had summed up her entire personality using one small analogy.

"Don't be sad, Mom." Reira said comfortingly. "There's someone out there who's chakra feels like a comfortable pair of shoes, I know it. You just need to find him, that's all. Then it won't matter how sharp your chakra feels, because he's gonna walk with you wherever you go."

* * *

Back inside the house, Naruto's mind was reeling. He was expecting Hinata to be glad to see him, but certainly NOTHING like this. After Freyja and her daughter left the house, Hinata had asked…no, scratch that – she **DEMANDED** he bring her to the bedroom, practically mouth raping him the entire time.

After he kicked the door shut, he walked over to the end of the bed, still grabbing her ass to support her. Not that he thought it mattered anyway – with her legs locked around his waist like they were, he doubted she would fall even if he moved his hands somewhere else.

Suddenly, she unlocked her legs and stood, allowing him to catch his breath for a minute. He looked down at her and smiled. "I guess you DID miss me, after all."

Hinata smirked and said, "You have NO idea, Naruto-kun." Then her smirk turned into an evil grin and she activated her Byakugan. Naruto barely had time to think as she quickly lashed out, hitting several tenketsu in his arms and legs, essentially rendering them useless. Before he could collapse, she finished with a slight chakra enhanced palm strike to his chest – certainly not enough to injure him, but more than enough to throw him backwards onto the bed.

Unable to move any of his limbs, he could only watch helplessly as Hinata slowly crawled over him on the bed, like a tiger stalking its prey. Her look smoldered like nothing he'd ever seen and a shiver ran down his spine, while Naruto gulped nervously at the sight before him.

"Hinata, what…"

"Shhh…" She said, placing a finger over his lips. "I've been dreaming of this for the past two months, and you're going to lay there and enjoy what I have planned." She intensified her look, causing beads of sweat to form on his forehead. "Understand?"

Naruto nodded vigorously, thinking that even if he COULD move he probably wouldn't. Two emotions were running through his mind right now; excitement of what she was going to do to him, and the fear of what she would do if he actually DID move. Either way, he realized he had nothing to say about what was going to happen next.

**_***Danger, Will Robinson! Lemon Scene Ahead!***_**

* * *

Hinata straddled his waist and adjusted his arms so that they were comfortable. Her hands roamed over his broad chest, feeling it quiver beneath his shirt in anticipation of what was to come. Her gaze suddenly became eager; she wanted to see his bronzed skin and drink in every curve, every muscle of his body knowing that it belonged to her, and only her. Suddenly deciding that the shirt had become a hindrance and was getting in the way of her desire, Hinata ripped it off of him and tossed the remnants in the corner.

Her fingers caressed his pectoral muscles, feeling the tension within them. Her thumbs dug into the knots, kneading them expertly away before her hands moved on to his arms, caressing his large biceps and then his forearms. At the end, she locked her fingers in his, bringing his left hand up and nuzzling her mouth lovingly into his palm.

Laying his arm back down, her hands returned to his chest and traced circular patterns with her fingertips. Then, using her nails she swept downward, lightly scratching his abdominal muscles causing Naruto to groan with pleasure. Her hands continued their work for a few seconds and then continued around to his sides, exploring the grooves of his ribcage and oblique muscles with her thumbs.

Naruto exhaled heavily; her touch was steady and relaxing, and lying on the bed, unable to move as Hinata assumed the dominant role for once brought about a wave of pleasure that he'd never experienced before. He found himself liking it immensely and wanting far more than she was giving, and soon. Remaining still was utter torture; he was pretty sure Hinata knew it and was relishing in that fact.

Wanting to continue her ministrations, she recognized that she now had the same issue with his pants as she'd just had with his shirt..._they were in the way_. Grasping his waistband, she tugged downwards with a bit of effort and removed them, tossing them aside into the same corner as the remnants of his shirt, leaving him clad in nothing but his boxer shorts. Pondering if they should go as well, Hinata decided to leave them in place for now, if only to sadistically tease her husband further.

Naruto watched as Hinata continued where she left off, moving her hands down his left leg. The look on her face spoke volumes; it was curious and grateful, happy and content, romantic yet lustful. It said that he was everything she ever wanted or needed, handsome beyond compare and she was staking her claim to his body and soul. He was her most precious person, and she wanted him to know that.

Hinata moved her hands to his right leg, grasping his inner and outer muscles while slowly traveling upwards towards his groin. The closer she got to his manhood, the harder it became and she saw it straining against the fabric of his underwear. To Naruto, the constriction actually started to feel a bit painful, and he wondered when Hinata would release his member from its confinement. He knew better than to ask, however – he could tell that she was enjoying this far too much, and would probably say no anyway.

The massage was erotic, tantalizing, relaxing and stimulating all at the same time. He'd been wondering not only where this decisive and confident part of her personality had blossomed from, but what the ultimate goal was for all of this – the obvious answer of sex notwithstanding. Yet, as he saw the expression on her face it became clear that there was so much more to this than a simple massage; she was exploring his body…every peak, curve and valley…all his perfections and imperfections…burning them into her memory, making sure she remembered forever what she had right in front of her, and how lucky she was to have it.

He wished he could do the same to her, but right now with his limbs paralyzed and Hinata still clothed, that dream remained out of reach. **_At least for now_**, he reminded himself.

For her part, Hinata had moved her hands back above his waistline, staring lustfully at his powerful chest and arms. Her heart began to beat a little faster, and the palms of her hands began to tingle as she became acutely aware of every arch and bend of her husband's manly form. Her breath became unsteady, and her eyes of their own free will roamed over his body, admiring what was currently beneath her hands. The more she drank in, the more her awareness seemed to become hazy and the only thing that was clear at that moment was the form of the one she loved lying underneath her. Everything about him drew her eye, and even though they had been man and wife almost six months, she realized that no matter how long they would be together there would always be more to see and discover about each other. Everything that happened within their lives changed the experience of being together intimately, and her heart skipped a beat as she suddenly understood that life itself would make every moment with her husband fresh and new.

She felt the pace of her breathing quicken as she looked at him, running the tip of her tongue along her lips seductively. At that point, she caught herself and bit her lower lip, trying to hold back not only the flush on her face, but also the heat that was rushing to her center. She took a deep breath, trying to remain calm as her heart thudded in her chest from excitement. For a brief moment, she thought if she concentrated on his face, it might help distract her from other…parts of her body that were threatening to overwhelm her.

That turned out to be a bad decision, as the look Naruto returned was one of warmth, love and caring, along with that same smile he'd been known to wear as a child – not the fake one, the real one when he'd experienced a truly happy moment. It became too much, and an ache developed in her heart and quickly moved south between her legs; an ache that could only be identified with emptiness and longing.

Growing wetter by the second, Hinata knew that right now, she was intensely aroused on both an emotional and physical level. As she took a moment to wonder why, she thought perhaps it was because in the time he was gone, she came to realize what he truly meant to her. There hadn't been much time to discuss the revelation of their love for one another before he left, and she had spent many long and sleepless nights coming to grips with how foolish she had been at one point, almost throwing away the best thing that could have ever happened to her when she tried to talk him out of marrying her that day in the park.

It was a moment she'd never forget. A moment she vowed never to repeat again. The moment she realized that she'd been wrong about a great many things, and had foolishly pushed away the second chance that Kami had given her. As luck would have it, Naruto had been stubborn enough to ignore her, and she was beyond grateful that he did.

Hinata blinked a few times, and Naruto laughed at her distracted look. He'd seen her like this many times since they were young, but he'd paid more attention to it since they had gotten married. He knew she got like this when she had particularly strong thoughts about something, and from the look on her face it was clear that those thoughts were about him. More than anything, he wanted to be able to move his arms, allowing his hands to roam free all over her body and do the same thing to her that she had done to him. It would be a simple matter to flare some of Kurama's chakra and unblock his tenketsu, but he thought it would be better manners to ask first.

"Hinata." He tentatively asked. "Would you mind releasing my tenketsu now? I'd like to return the favor…"

"No, Naruto-kun." She told him, shaking her head. "I'm not through yet. Until I say so, you need to lay there and enjoy this."

Doing as he was told, he watched Hinata leave the bed. She stood before him, her eyes shining in the dim light of the room as she allowed him to drink in her form, which he did so covetously. Seeing his look and smiling at the sight – knowing that it was reserved only for her and what they shared – she closed her eyes and remained still, feeling the desire of his gaze move all over her body. She blushed at the image her imagination created, fighting her body's natural reaction for it to spread to across her face, her neck and further parts south.

And then after a moment her body started to move as it followed a song that was playing within her mind. Her head moved gracefully like a pendulum from side to side, and her hips swayed to the silent beat while her hands moved upwards, clasping around her neck.

Naruto watched in awe as her body gyrated sensuously. Slowly, her hands went above her head and her upper body began to move completely opposite from the bottom as her hands began to roam freely over her body, dropping to the hollow between her breasts before continuing on, cupping each one and caressing it lovingly for his benefit. She turned away from him, and he watched as her perfectly formed buttocks sashayed to the tune only she could hear playing in her head.

A thin trail of blood trickled from his nose. The sight of all of this was starting to give Naruto a nosebleed, and even a blind man could see that Hinata was doing it on purpose. The effect on him was hypnotic; the sight of her body moving to and fro was enough to put him in some sort of trance and he gazed at her, mesmerized as she continued to move to the silent music.

Hinata hooked her hands on the waist of her pants and bent over, embellishing the action for his benefit. Slowly, as if every second seemed like an eternity the garment fell, exposing first her perfectly formed bottom, which Naruto absently noted was completely visible only because Hinata was wearing a lace lavender thong. Her legs were next, perfectly toned from her training with Kakashi and her skin – that wonderfully sensuous pale skin – was smooth and flawless, down to the tips of her toes which he watched, transfixed as Hinata kicked the pants over into the corner where Naruto's clothes had been thrown.

Still moving slowly so as to prolong the torture – or pleasure, depending on how you looked at it – of the moment, Hinata straightened back up, still continuing to face away from him. Her hips continued to move to the unknown beat, and she crossed her arms in front of her and grasped the edge of her shirt, lifting it up to remove it. Her long, indigo locks disappeared as she pulled her head through the neck of the garment, only to reappear as they flowed down her back, gracefully swaying to each side as she shook her head to fan out her hair.

Naruto swore that he'd never seen a more erotic sight in his entire life, and room in his boxers was becoming even more scarce as he felt his manhood become harder and larger at the same time, which he didn't think was even possible. He was barely hanging on by a thread; torn between continuing to obey Hinata's command to remain still and embolden this new confident side of her personality, and wanting to take her aggressively like the alpha-male that he was.

The shirt was added to the ever growing pile of clothes, and Hinata continued to dance as reached behind her body to fiddle with the clasp of her bra. After a moment, it was undone and the undergarment hung loosely on her shoulders. She uncovered her breasts slowly, hearing Naruto give a sharp intake of breath as it fell forward off of her body, only to be thrown in the corner with everything else.

Now topless, Hinata leisurely continued to dance to the pulsing beat within her head, her hands returning to their previous task of caressing her body lasciviously. She rotated, facing him as her fingertips traced random patterns along her upper body; starting at her well-toned stomach before casually moving north, lightly making circular patters over her perfectly formed breasts. They continued upward, sliding her hands into her indigo tresses and using her fingers to comb through her hair, fanning it out to her sides like the darkened wings of an angel.

Hinata opened her eyes and stared at Naruto, amused at his dazed and disoriented look. Her gaze became dark and hungry as she strutted over to the bed and proceeded to crawl over him so that her nipples brushed tantalizingly against his body. Reaching his waist, she grasped his boxer shorts and languidly pulled them off of his still partially paralyzed body, finally allowing his member the escape that he'd been aching for since Hinata seductively started to dance for his benefit. Hinata flung them haphazardly behind her, for once not caring where the piece of clothing landed in the room.

Once again, Hinata's points traced a path along Naruto's muscular form, teasing him salaciously as they traveled upwards along his legs, grazing over his swollen manhood and continuing along his chest, until finally she was face to face with the man she loved. Bracing her arms on either side, her mouth rapidly descended upon his and she kissed him eagerly, yet passionately as well. Naruto opened his mouth and their tongues moved in harmony with one another; not fighting for dominance but simply enjoying the dance itself and the emotions it produced.

Hinata was now straddling his hips, and her crotch was pressed down against his engorged shaft. She could feel the heat coming off of it, mainly because it was rubbing against her folds through her thong, while being pressed between their two bodies. She ground against it, causing Naruto to moan her name into her mouth in pleasure, which she returned by doing the same to him, all the while sliding her completely soaked underwear up and down his shaft.

Finally hitting her limit, Hinata reached down and grabbed his erect manhood. Pushing aside the thin strip of fabric from her thong, she guided the head into her opening and lowered herself onto him with a satisfied moan, banishing the emptiness as she felt it throb inside of her. She relished how full it made her feel, and began to rock back and forth, groaning in pleasure as she felt him move in and out of her. Wanting to hit every nerve, every point his member could reach, she ground her pelvis in circles against him, then changed to a back and forth motion, in order to achieve the extra sensation that came from rubbing her clit against his hardened stomach.

She pressed her hands against his shoulders and pushed herself up so that she was now vertical, still trying to exercise some measure of control as her labia stroked his length. Naruto watched the sight in front of him; from the sheen of her juices coating his arousal as it continuously disappeared into her luxurious folds, to her breasts as they bounced in front of him enticingly. Both motions caused him to become increasingly heated and Naruto growled, reveling in the sensations she brought out in his body.

Hinata rode her husband methodically and with purpose, using a measured pace. She had sworn to herself that when Naruto returned, they would have a sensuous lovemaking session with her being in control – where slowly but surely, she would build them both to orgasm, savoring every moment like a fine wine until they did so. However, that was quickly turning into a fantasy as the throbbing in her core became louder than the one in her chest, and she was having trouble maintaining her rhythm as she rode him, embracing every jolt of pleasure that he elicited within her.

Her elbows buckled and her chest pressed against his once more. Her mouth crashed against his, kissing him hungrily while trying to shove her tongue down the back of his throat. Moaning in lust, panting against the potent shocks that raced from her sensitive nub up to her stomach and out to her sides, she felt the buildup of pressure and knew that her release wasn't far behind.

Her body convulsed as the orgasm hit her full force, and her pelvic muscles quivered as she lost control of everything below her waist. She screamed in ecstasy into his mouth, each bone jarring spasm making her shudder in euphoric release as her toes curled in absolute bliss from the sensations that started at her core and ran throughout her body.

As Hinata heaved breathlessly into his shoulder, savoring the waning intensity of her orgasm Naruto decided at this point he'd had enough. Hinata had asked him to remain still, allowing her to control the pace and actions of their lovemaking but unlike her, he'd yet to reach his apex. Not that he was complaining about her efforts, but there was no way he was going to allow her to rest for several minutes when he was so close to a release of his own.

When it came to understanding tailed beasts, most people were ignorant. They only viewed them either as a weapon of mass destruction that was despised and feared (villagers), or a tool to be used by their village to attack others with or without provocation (Danzō). However, those that understood a bit more than that also knew that when a jinchuuriki accessed the power of the tailed beast they held, there were actually two stages of the transformation.

The first stage creates a chakra cloak, and causes a number of tails to appear. The chakra in this stage is extremely caustic, and if someone tried to absorb it or had it forced into their body, it would eat them alive from the inside out.

But stage two? Now that was a different story.

During this last trip while he was training with Saladin, one thing he DID remember from the fourth shinobi war was the ability to share Kurama's chakra with other shinobi on the battlefield. He hadn't been lying to Kakashi earlier when he'd said that Kurama had helped him with several techniques that day, and while he technically still could use Kurama's chakra, the only thing he'd been able to manage since then was enhanced speed and strength, using the chakra as an appendage of sorts and creating multiple occurrences of the Rasengan.

Now that limitation was gone. Saladin had helped him master every facet, from a full-on Bijuu transformation to the ability to share that chakra with another person, simply by harmonizing it with theirs. He didn't really need Kurama's help anymore. There was nothing he couldn't do.

_And right now, he wanted his tenketsu opened. He wanted control of his limbs again. And he wanted his release._

Her head still buried in the gap between his neck and shoulder, her eyes were half-lidded as she stared at his bronzed skin which, under normal circumstances would keep her libido at a low idle while she gathered her second wind. Today however, such a thing was not to be as her eyes were thrown wide open when she heard Naruto growl and say in a deep, lascivious voice…

**_"It's my turn now, Hime…"_**

He flared Kurama's chakra, opening his tenketsu and healing them instantly. Before she had a chance to react, Naruto wrapped his arms around her and skillfully rolled them both so that not only did he remain buried deep inside of her, he was now in the dominant top position, pressing their sweaty, lust filled bodies tightly together. As a finishing touch he took a piece of that chakra and harmonized it with Hinata's, essentially giving her a boost and magnifying every feeling, every sensation that she was experiencing to heights she had never experienced before.

Hinata shuddered at the sudden rush of power, and she trembled in anticipation as Naruto rose up and positioned himself aggressively above her. He grabbed her ankles and spread her legs wide, tilting her pelvis up so that every time he slammed into her, he achieved maximum penetration and hit her g-spot, sending shockwaves up her spine.

Hinata mewled in delight as Naruto pumped in and out of her using long, deep strokes. His pace was steady, but his thrusts were powerful and he grunted, savoring the feeling of his shaft rubbing her channel. Feeling greedy and wanting more, he let go of her legs and grabbed her waist, allowing him to increase the pace and force as he mercilessly drove into her, again and again.

Unwilling to relinquish the position and the unbridled fury it was bringing about in her, Hinata's hands came up and grabbed her ankles, ensuring she would lose nothing because of Naruto changing his position in order to bear down on her. She was drowning in ecstasy, and what she had initially intended to be a slow, romantic romp in the bedroom filled with caresses and gentle touches quickly faded as she awoke the beast within him. Right now she wanted that part; that primal element of her husband that was pummeling her with the considerable strength at his disposal and unleashing it on her in a lust filled rage.

Naruto was giving it to Hinata hard and fast, just like he wanted and if the look on her face was any indication, she was enjoying it as well. Her breath was coming in rapid, shallow gasps and her body was giving off an intense amount of heat. She was burning up and he knew it; from the flush on her chest to the sweat on her brow, he watched as her incredibly beautiful form writhed in uncontrolled passion beneath him.

Unable to maintain her grip any longer, she let go of her ankles and gripped the bed sheets instead. Her legs moved of their own accord, wrapping around his back and squeezing, trying to draw him further into her. Naruto responded, grabbing her wrists and pushing her arms up over her head, pinning them there with his hands. Grunting, he granted her wish and thrust harder into her, turning up the intensity as she bucked her hips upwards to meet his piledriving member.

Hinata's eyes had rolled into the back of her head, and her gasps became moans as Naruto continued his punishing pace. The bed creaked against the force of what was being done to it, and the headboard slammed repeatedly into the wall as her hands squeezed his tight enough to elicit a small amount of pain. That feeling however, was at the edge of her consciousness and did nothing to dampen her arousal; but surprisingly enough enhanced it instead. Cognitive thought was almost beyond her reach at this point, and it was all she could do not to scream too loudly in pleasure, because she knew that she would injure her vocal cords if she did so.

Naruto saw the flush bloom on her chest, along with other indicators that served to let him know that she was approaching her climax. His hands were slick as he grasped hers, and their union was soaked with her fluids and their sweat. He felt her inner walls tense around him in anticipation of her impending release and he drove into her with wanton abandon, bringing his face to within inches of each other as his eyes bored into hers. They stared at each other in carnal lust, their mouths refraining from crashing together because it would only serve to stop the desperate gasps for breath their bodies were demanding.

Then the moment hit, and the sensations came at them in waves. For Hinata, it was the most intense orgasm she'd ever experienced, and it made her cry out in blissful agony as the spasms hit her. Even though they ran throughout her entire body, they were strongest in her core which continued to squeeze Naruto's shaft, refusing to relinquish her hold on him as it remained buried deep inside of her. Her spine curled, the muscles in her legs clenched and her nails dug into his arms, drawing blood as they squeezed his biceps in a deathlike grip.

Naruto's back turned rigid, as he fought to keep Hinata from snapping his spine in half with her legs and flooded Hinata with his seed. His manhood twitched violently, expelling wave after wave of it inside of her as he screamed in release. His body shook and convulsed from the force of the orgasm that ran through him. Both of them continued to breathe heavily, basking in the afterglow of the moment as they came down from their adrenaline high. Naruto continued to lay on top of her for a few minutes, their bodies trembling against one another as Kurama's chakra faded slowly before finally relaxed and rolled to his left.

* * *

**_***You're Safe Now, Will Robinson. Lemon Scene Ends!***_**

After a minute, Hinata found her voice and said haltingly, "That…That was…"

"Amazing?" Naruto offered.

"I was going to say breathtaking, or…or perhaps mind-blowing, but I suppose…amazing works too." She said in between gasps for breath.

Naruto chuckled as Hinata rolled over and snuggled up against his side. He tenderly combed his fingers through her matted hair, reveling in the look and feel of it, and she sighed in contentment at his gentle touch.

"So, Naruto-kun…" Hinata asked inquisitively. "…did you enjoy the display I provided for you regarding my newfound confidence?"

"Mmm, it was unexpectedly delicious." He said devilishly. "But can you tell me what brought this about?"

"Well, I guess you could say it's a side effect from my afternoon sessions with Kakashi-sensei. He's been very supportive of me during our training."

"Then I'd have to say he wasn't lying when he told me he was doing a good job as a teacher for once."

Her head rose wearily. "You've already been to see him?"

He nodded. "Yeah, the front gate informed us that he was supposed to be our first stop once Sasuke and I got back to the village, so that everyone could be properly debriefed." His other arm came up and he hugged her lovingly. "He told me what you did. Thank you for making my dream finally come true."

She hugged him back with the arm that was draped across his chest. "You're welcome, Naruto-kun. It's the least I could do for everything you've done for me."

They continued to lay there for another minute, while Hinata began to trace random patterns all over his chest. It was a very loving action and Naruto was enjoying it immensely, however the feeling coming from her fingertips was rather strange. It was a cool, calming sensation that felt very good against his overheated skin, and he wondered if whatever she was doing was also a result of Kakashi's instruction.

Hinata broke the silence between them asked, "Naruto-kun, tell me…if you had to choose, which one would you prefer? The new, confident side of me or the shy, timid person I was before you left?"

That was a dangerous question for him to answer, and he knew it. As luck would have it, he quickly realized that the coward's way out of answering it was also the easy way out. "Well, if I had to choose I'd say that I prefer…both."

Her hand stopped caressing his chest and she looked at him skeptically. "Saying that you prefer both isn't really a choice, Naruto-kun."

He laughed again and said, "Sure it is. The shy, timid girl that I knew before I left the village is the one who watched me when I was young. The one who loved me for everything I was, and wasn't. The one who jumped in to save me from Pain. The one I fell in love with, even when I was too stupid to realize it." He grinned lecherously. "Now, the confident side? I like that too. A confident Hinata is a powerful Hinata, and I think those are two of the most important qualities the wife of the Hokage should have." He clicked his tongue. "Plus, it's sexy as hell. I don't think I've ever been more turned on in my life than I was just now."

Hinata giggled at what he said and then sighed, as her hand began to caress his chest once again. However, as the seconds wore on he noticed that the feeling became less of a cool, calming one and more like light, prickling sensation. He knew Hinata was the cause of it, but for the life of him he couldn't understand what was going on, and why she was doing it.

"Naruto-kun, can…can I ask you another question?"

The sensation from her fingertips was starting to become uncomfortable, like she was running an electric probe across his skin, and it didn't take a genius to figure out the two items were related somehow. "Umm, sure Hinata-hime. What's on your mind?"

"That girl you saw earlier…Reira. You know who she is, right?"

NOW the sensation was growing beyond uncomfortable, and was actually starting to sting a little bit. "Yes. Before you walked in the door, I asked Freyja about her. She told me Reira is her daughter. Why?"

She was silent for another moment, clearly hesitant about asking the next question. In the meantime, she kept turning up the juice on whatever she was doing with her fingertips, and it was now turning slightly painful.

"Is…Is she also **your** daughter?"

Okay, **THAT** question came out of left field. Suddenly given an opportunity to move out from underneath whatever technique Hinata was using to…interrogate him, he raised himself up on his elbows and stared into her eyes disbelievingly. The look he saw reflected in them wasn't one of anger, but from fear.

"Ah, no…no she's not." His eyebrows rose in bewilderment. "Where did you come up with that idea?"

The question caused Hinata to flinch a little bit before she said, "Well, she has blonde hair and blue eyes, just like you."

"A lot of people have blond hair and blue eyes, Hinata."

She pressed forward with her explanation. "But you also worked with her, Naruto-kun. You've known her for a good number of years, and she's very beautiful as well. Also, you're one of only two people that have seen her Mienai Segi tattoos, which from what she's told me are in a very private and personal spot on her body."

He sighed in frustration; realizing the gist of what she was saying. She wasn't mad that he might potentially have a daughter that he didn't tell her about – that would have been extremely hypocritical on her part – but rather afraid of what this might mean for them and their relationship. This line of thinking needed to stop, and quick.

"Hinata, Reira is **not** my daughter – I'm quite sure of it. I'm guessing you've been around Freyja for a while now, right? You know what her personality is like. Do you honestly think if I had sex with her at some point, I'd forget something like that?"

Hinata chewed her lower lip for a moment and then shook her head no.

"Exactly." Reminding her of the obvious point that he wouldn't have kept something like this a secret like she had done would have been harsh, cruel and totally unnecessary. As far as he was concerned, it was all in the past and the bond between his family was stronger than ever because of it.

"I know our lives were…complicated before I came back to the village, and there are aspects of it that will resurface from time to time. But no matter what happens, no matter what misunderstandings might come between us in the future, don't ever forget what I'm about to say to you right now." His hand came up and lovingly brushed the hair away from her face. "There's only one person I love. Only one person who holds my heart in the palm of her hand and that's you, my beautiful lavender-eyed princess. And there will never be a day that I wish it would be otherwise. Okay?"

Captivated by his words, Hinata could only stare into the unfathomable depths of his sapphire blue eyes. She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her head into his shoulder, trying to give herself time to come up with a suitable response but nothing elaborate came to mind. In the end, she reasoned that the basics would be best.

"I love you, Naruto-kun. And thank you. Thank you so much." She said simply, while pushing the feeling of undying devotion at him through the seal.

He smiled and placed a chaste kiss on her forehead, reveling in the emotion she was sending him. "You're welcome, Hinata-hime. And I love you too. More than anything. Believe it."

He heard her sigh contentedly, obviously happy to hear the words after two months of being apart. And then suddenly, as if the sound triggered something deep within him, he was very eager to spend time with his family – not only Hinata, but Hikaru as well.

"Hinata, how about we spend the afternoon of my first day back together as a family – just you, me and Hikaru. Would you like that?"

The thought of spending the afternoon in bed making love with Naruto would have been her first choice; however she also knew that more than likely they would be interrupted at some point – either by Freyja and Reira when they got back from the park, or by Hikaru when his classes ended at the academy. Her head still buried in his shoulder, she wordlessly nodded in agreement with his wonderful idea.

"Great!" He said enthusiastically. "I'll take a quick shower and then head over to the academy to pick him up." He ran his fingertips erotically up her side, giving her goosebumps. "You can get in the shower after I'm done. I'm afraid if you join me, we'll never get out of the house."

Hinata giggled at that, giving him a quick kiss before he went into the bathroom and turned the water on. As she heard him step into the shower, her mind flashed back to various snippets of the conversation she had with Tsunade all those months ago…

**_***Flashback***_**

_Hinata looked at Tsunade, her eyes pleading. "I told Sakura that it doesn't matter if I'm second place in his heart, but that's a lie because it does. I don't want part of him, I want all of him. Including the part that Sakura holds."_

_Tsunade look at her sympathetically. "Hinata, we both know that Naruto has been treated unfairly. Not just by Sakura, but by the people of this village as well. You know what his childhood was like. And if his heart was broken beyond repair, I sincerely doubt that he would have come back to help you. I think he's just…hurting. And he needs someone to help fix what's broken."_

_"But how can I do this? How can I help him find what he believes is gone forever?"_

_"Give him time, Hinata. There's an old saying, 'time heals all wounds'. Just be there for him, and love him no matter what happens. He needs to come to the realization all on his own that you mean more to him than Sakura ever did. And when he does, I guarantee that you will hold his heart in the palm of your hand."_

**_***End Flashback***_**

A solitary tear fell from the corner of her eye as she brought her left hand up in front of her face to stare at it.

_He finally said it. She thought to herself. He finally said those words I've been longing to hear since I was a little girl._

She closed her hand into a fist and smiled blissfully. _I hold his heart in the palm of my hand._

* * *

A scream tore through the delivery room, as Sakura bore down and gave a final push, bringing both her and Sasuke's newborn child into the world. At least Sasuke hoped it was the final push, because Sakura had just broken three fingers of his hand she'd been holding for moral support.

The soft cries of their baby echoed in his ears, and Sasuke's heart swelled at the sound. Despite the amount of time they had been together…the amount of time they'd been trying to have a baby…and everything that had occurred before he left, both he and Sakura were now the parents of a baby Uchiha, as well as the next clan heir. He felt a sense of pride and completeness, and wondered if this was the same feeling Naruto had gotten when he found out Hikaru was his son.

After a minute, the doctor placed a clamp on the umbilical cord to stop the flow of blood. His hand holding a pair of scissors, he extended them towards Sasuke and asked, "Would you like to cut the cord?"

Sasuke stared at them for a second before saying ruefully, "At the present moment, I believe you're much more qualified than me to do so, considering my wife just broke three of my fingers. And if it's not too much trouble, I'd like someone to heal them once she relinquishes her hold on my hand."

The doctor hesitated for a moment and then nodded. He'd heard many stories about the Uchiha and his cold and hardened attitude, but the exchange he just had with the man hadn't been that bad. He wondered if the rumors had been blown out of proportion, or some outside force had changed his personality for the better.

Once the cord was cut, he placed the baby on a cart to be cleaned up and given several neo-natal tests. While this was going on, Sasuke asked Sakura to release his hand, so that someone could fix his broken fingers. She half opened her eyes and stared at him wearily; debating internally whether or not to actually do so since the feel of his hand was very comforting at the moment. In the end, Sakura relented and let go, so that someone could mend his broken bones.

It took a few minutes but once this was done, the head nurse presented Sasuke with their bundle of joy. He cradled it tenderly, and then walked over to sit in a chair next to the bed. A slight smile graced his face as he looked at his wife and said, "Congratulations, Sakura. We're the proud parents of a beautiful baby girl."

Despite how tired she was, Sakura experienced a rush of adrenaline at hearing the words. Eyes wide, she watched as Sasuke peeled back the blanket to reveal a shock of pink hair.

_No, this can't be real. Sakura and her inner self said to each other. No, the doctor's told me it was a boy. No, he was going to be my redemption, my salvation. No, he was going to save me from this hell I've been experiencing the last two months. No. No. No nonononono!_

* * *

A/N: Okay, not as big of a cliffhanger as the last chapter but I had to put something at the end that brought you back for the next installment. Hopefully it's enough.

And now everyone knows that Reira isn't Naruto's kid. Head faked everyone on that, didn't I? That'll teach you all not to assume things in my story...you have to look underneath the underneath!

I know that people were expecting more to happen in this chapter, and I'm sorry about that. It's just that when I started writing the lemon scene, it got bigger and bigger (there's no pun here, you perverts!) and before you know it the word count for that part was over four thousand. So I vow to make it up in the next chapter.

By the way, did anyone catch the small part of dialogue I put in this from a major motion picture? Extra points if you spot it, and I'll give you a shout-out in the next chapter.

What's coming next? Well, I'm finally going to put in a part with the toads for **AP Samuels** and **bennie403**. The conversation with Freyja/Sasuke/Naruto/Kakashi is going to happen. Naruto has his first full day as Hokage, and wait until you see what the first thing he does happens to be (once again, get your mind out of the gutter, you perverts! It's not sex on the Hokage's desk!). And Sakura comes to grips with the fact that the child she just had is a girl, not a boy like she was told by her doctors. Just more fodder for her inner self in the long run.

**_Recommendation time!_** Okay, I'm going to do something different for once. I've mentioned it a few times in my previous chapters, but I have OCD when it comes to grammar, spelling and style. I obsess over it, and that's why I proofread each chapter about ten times before I release it to the public. That's how important it is to me.

But there are stories on this site that while they may not have those qualities in spades, they more than make up for it with the content. I like stuff like this, where the emotion is palpable, and you get a good sense of the characters and what the author is trying to convey. And the most important thing is that the plot draws me in and keeps me there.

So I'm recommending **Love's Never Easy by Ayrmed**. This story deals quite a bit with the human element of our favorite couple, and while the word count isn't that high it's still great to read. There's some Sakura angst, drama galore and Hinata is pregnant! If you decide to check it and like what you see, put it on your favorite/follow list and leave a review. I'm sure she'll love it, and appreciate the continued support for her work.

Here's the link, as usual remove the spaces and you know what to replace the stars with:

www . fanfiction . *** / s / 9400626

**REVIEWS!** So I missed my goal for reviews last chapter, but that's all right – I always set the bar high. I would like to thank each and every person who left me a review, including the guests. I'm getting close to my goal of 1,000 reviews and I'm hoping to hit it soon but let's see how close I can get with this chapter. I can only do this with your continued support.

So take some time and leave me a review, because there's no better way to say 'thank you, I appreciate the time you take out of your life to write this interesting piece of work' like seeing those words of encouragement fill my email inbox. And the more reviews you leave, the faster the next chapter gets out. It's happened before and it'll happen again…It's in your hands, my fellow readers!

That's all for now. Take care and stay safe.

Serious Sam


	21. Ch 20: I Have Seen The Face of My Enemy

20\. I Have Seen The Face Of The Enemy

**_Wheel of morality, turn turn turn…Show us the lesson we should learn…It's Chapter 20!_**

Chapter 20 is finally here. I apologize to my readers for the delay, but there were several parts of this story that I wanted to make sure were done JUST RIGHT based on reviews that I received. It'll be explained here in the beginning, but everyone will know what I'm talking about. Plus, my job kinda dropped a lot of paperwork on me in the last month, so it's been slow going.

As always, I'd like to give the standard thanks and shout-outs to various people for helping me with my story. As I mention every chapter, reader interaction is very important to me and although this is MY story, great ideas can come from anywhere.

As I do every chapter, I give thanks to fellow author **Titokhan** for helping me out, as well as my anonymous beta for his continued efforts and support. You guys help make my job so much easier, and it's appreciated.

With that out of the way, let's get to shout-outs and credit where credit is due:

First of all, I would like to give thanks to the reader who sent me a PM letting me know two things – first of all, Sakura always referred to Sasuke as Sasuke-kun, and everyone should refer to the Hokage as Hokage-sama, not Lord Hokage. I went back and made these changes and kept your name anonymous, as you requested. But thank you.

**JohnXgambit/Arcana37210/AIM-64C/Odinson91:** You all guessed my movie reference in the last chapter, which was from "Armageddon". Kudos to you for noticing!

**Titokhan:** Gets credit for the idea of naming the baby Mikomi, as well as giving her pink hair. That idea was one of many, and I'll be giving full credit on the rest when I use them. The pink hair idea was pure evil genius, though.

**Raja-Ulat:** Gets credit for part of the conversation between Tsunade and Sakura.

**Hektols:** Thank you SO MUCH for your help with the Toad scene in this chapter!

**Troutman30:** After your review, I worked really hard on making the conversation between Tsunade and Sakura in this chapter very detailed and specific. It addresses your concerns about the baby but also gives quite a bit of insight as to the 'why' of Sakura acting like she is. I hope this clears things up, and allays your fears.

**MattWilson83:** Yes, THE MattWilson83 who is also responsible for the phenomenal graphic novel **NaruHina Chronicles on DeviantArt** left me a review and was gracious enough to banter some ideas back and forth with me. Tweaks were made to the Sakura/Tsunade conversation based on his input, and I will be making some adjustments in the story going forward because of it. The destination won't change, but the journey getting there will. I appreciate him taking time to offer some ideas and perspective. And if you haven't looked at his work, you seriously need to check it out. ESPECIALLY his new one called "Attracting Naruto", which is for Pervy-Sage lovers everywhere and inspired me to add a piece to chapter 21 when it comes out.

**GlassesGuest:** Believe it or not, I read every review I get – even one as lengthy as yours. If people have a question or reference something specific, I respond personally but I couldn't in your case because you're a GUEST. All I can say is that I try to write as best as possible and I'm working on getting better. I know many of my readers have seen improvement since chapter one. And as far as the characters being OOC, well you have to remember that this story takes place eight or so years AFTER the fourth shinobi war. Everyone is at least twenty-six years old, so they're bound to be different than the teenagers that everyone reads about in the manga. People change, and that's what I wanted to portray. And I didn't take your review negatively; I count each one as a way to learn to be better.

**NovaKing2832:** Okay, this one needed some explanation, so here goes…I LOVE THE CLASSICS. That's classic television, movies, you name it. Saturday morning cartoons and a bowl of Crunch Berries? Best friggin' times of my life. It all got ruined by Pokemon and Power Rangers…Give me Animaniacs, Bugs Bunny or even The Tick anytime and I'm a happy camper.

It's also the reason why I put my disclaimer in the format that I do. There are certain movies that just make you laugh no matter how many times you watch them – that's how it becomes a classic. Monty Python and the Holy Grail…Airplane…Anchorman…you guys know the list. And there's one of my top three movies in the disclaimer for this week.

The reference before the lemon scene in my last chapter "Danger, Will Robinson!" is from a VERY old TV show called Lost In Space. The robot used to say it to the young boy (Will) on the show whenever there's...you know, danger. Someday I'll throw in a Carol Burnett Show reference and see if you guys get that one. Ever want to laugh your ass off over and over? Go to YouTube and search for "Tim Conway Dentist Sketch". Classic stuff.

Once again, this chapter is dedicated to the following authors who made mention of my story in their own works. If you haven't checked their stories out, you have NO idea what you're missing! Thank you so much for your support and encouragement!

**Arcana37210 – Rise of Ryujin**

**Ayrmed – Love's Never Easy**

So without further ado, here's this month's disclaimer. And if you haven't seen this movie, you haven't lived. It's easily one of my top three comedies of all time.

**_Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto. But Mongo, perhaps you know why a high roller like Masashi Kishimoto is interested in the town of Rock Ridge._**

**_Mongo – Don't know. Has to do with where choo-choo go._**

**_Disclaimer – Mongo, why would Masashi Kishimoto care about where the choo-choo goes?_**

**_Mongo – Don't know. Mongo only pawn…in game of life. (+1 if you get the reference.)_**

* * *

Chapter 20 – I Have Seen The Face Of The Enemy

As Naruto walked through the halls of the academy, he couldn't help but feel a little bit nostalgic. After all, this was the place where his life had begun to change, moving beyond the dreadful moments of his childhood to a place where he'd started to forge true friendships with his classmates, as well as establishing a lifelong rivalry with his teammate – and now brother – Sasuke Uchiha.

Of course, there were other memories he wished to forget…those being his mindless pursuit of Sakura and his obliviousness towards Hinata and her feelings. But as Kurama had told him many months ago – and Saladin had forced him to come face to face with this during his recent training mission as well – you can't change the past. Better to accept what happened and move on, than to wallow in self-pity and dream about what might have been if things had been different.

He was happier now than he'd ever been, with a wife who loved him and a son he adored. And in the grand scheme of things, that was all that really mattered to him.

As he turned the corner down the final hallway, he heard Iruka giving a lecture to his students and it brought back another wave of memories…of him sleeping in class because the subject matter was so incredibly boring. Wondering if this discussion was anything like those had been, he stopped several feet outside the door and listened in…

**_Inside the classroom…_**

"So in order for someone to be able to perform an animal summons, they first have to sign the contract that creates a partnership between that individual and the respective species. However, don't be fooled into thinking it's merely that simple. The summons still must accept you as their vassal, and the more powerful summons require you to complete an extremely difficult challenge in order to prove your worthiness. Now, can anyone name for me one of the known summoning contracts?"

A girl in the back raised her hand. "Are bees one of them?"

Iruka nodded. "Very good, Kiyomi. Bees are one of the summoning contracts, although they **are** minor at best." He looked around the room. "Anyone else?"

This time a boy answered. "Doesn't the Hokage have the dog summoning contract?"

"Actually Takamu, they prefer to be called Ninken but technically that's also correct." Iruka answered. "But as impressive as those two are, they still fall into the category of a lesser summons. Can anyone here name one of the major summoning contracts?"

Another boy's voice said, "Our clan has the Wolf summoning contract; is that one?"

"Sorry Shiga, but no. The Wolf contract that the Inuzuka clan holds **IS** one of the more powerful ones, but it's still not a major summoning contract." Iruka said. "Anyone else?"

"Didn't Hanzō have the Salamander contract?" A girl answered from the back.

"Very good, Mitsu. Even though no one currently holds it, the Salamander contract is one of the major ones. Can someone name one for me that's still active?"

"How about the Toad summoning contract?"

Everyone turned in the direction of the voice, and saw Naruto leaning against the door frame, with his arms crossed in front of his chest and a lopsided smirk on his face.

Startled for a brief moment, Iruka quickly composed himself as he watched his former student walk into the classroom. "Naruto! This is an unexpected surprise."

"Dad! You're back!" An excited voice called out.

Naruto watched as Hikaru bounded down the stairs; a huge smile plastered across his face as he rushed over to hug him unabashedly. The boy obviously wasn't worried about the ribbing he would get from the rest of his male classmates. As he hugged Hikaru back, Naruto was very glad that he wasn't embarrassed about it, since he'd missed out on a lot of this when his son was younger.

"So what brings you to my classroom today?" Iruka asked curiously.

"Well, I just got back in town and thought it would be nice to spend the afternoon with my family, so I'm here to get Hikaru. After today, I'm probably not going to have much time to do that, since apparently I start my new job tomorrow."

Iruka nodded knowingly. "Ah, yes. Sorry, I forgot about that. I guess I should start calling you Hokage-sama now."

Naruto chuckled. "In front of your students, I'd say the answer is yes, Iruka-sensei. But all things considered, I think you're entitled to a little bit of leeway when we're off the clock." He knelt down in front of Hikaru. "Well young man, Kakashi-sensei tells me that you've made quite a bit of progress while I've been gone."

Hikaru nodded enthusiastically and exclaimed, "You bet, Dad!"

Naruto lifted his right hand and created a Rasengan. Eyes blazing, he looked at Hikaru and said, "Show me."

Mirroring his father's action, Hikaru raised his right hand and stared intensely at his palm, furrowing his brow in concentration. After a few seconds a Rasengan appeared in his hand, albeit one about half the size that Naruto produced.

Iruka was staring in awe at Hikaru. "Your…Your father taught you the Rasengan?" He asked incredulously.

Hikaru held up the swirling mass and stated, "Nah, Dad just showed me the basics. Hokage-sensei has been training me every afternoon for the last couple of months to learn how to do it."

Iruka didn't think it was possible, but his eyes opened even wider. "Hokage…You mean Kakashi? You…You've been training with Kakashi Hatake for two whole months?"

Hikaru dispersed the Rasengan and shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah, pretty much. Dad asked him to do it while he was gone."

"Why didn't you say anything about that?"

"Because you didn't ask, Iruka-sensei." He said matter-of-factly. "Besides, I figured since my dad asked him to do it while he was away on his super-secret mission that the training with Hokage-sensei was probably a secret as well."

Stunned and at a loss for words, Iruka could only stare at Hikaru until he was broken out of his trance by one of his students waiving their arm in the air.

"Yes, Yukiyo?"

"Iruka-sensei…" She pointed at Hikaru. "…what was that thing Hikaru just did?"

Iruka sighed. Trust Hikaru and Naruto to completely disrupt his lesson plan. "It's called the Rasengan, and it's a high-level A-ranked ninjutsu. It's the ultimate form of chakra shape manipulation, and its destructive capabilities are quite large. And if you add elemental chakra to it…well, let's just say you don't want to be anywhere near it when it goes off."

Yukiyo still looked skeptical. "It didn't look all that powerful, Iruka-sensei."

"You haven't seen it in action. I have. Trust me on this." He said firmly.

Another arm went up; it appeared to be a boy from the Inuzuka clan. Iruka asked, "Yes, Shiga?"

"Can I ask our new Hokage a question?"

Iruka looked at Naruto, who shrugged. "I guess. What did you want to ask me…Shiga, is it?"

The boy nodded. "Yes, sir. You just said that one of the major summoning contracts was the Toads. How is that even possible? Toads are small!"

An image of Gamabunta popped into his mind, and Naruto chuckled outwardly at the ridiculousness of the statement. "Well…Let's just say that the Toads I'm talking about are bigger than those you're used to seeing."

Shiga narrowed his eyes as he digested the answer. After a moment, he shook his head and said, "That still doesn't make any sense, Hokage-sama. I mean, even if they were WAY bigger than normal – like maybe the size of a cow or something – there's no way that's better than our Wolf contract. Wolves have teeth and claws. They'd tear that sucker to pieces!"

Naruto sighed in frustration. He could tell this class was full of doubters…not that he was surprised by it in the least, since he used to be exactly the same way. At their age, there were very few absolutes in life but there was one thing Naruto remembered quite clearly, which was _seeing is believing_. And then suddenly, an idea came to mind.

"Hey, Iruka-sensei." He said, grinning broadly. "You appear to have some students that are having a hard time believing us. Since today's lesson deals with summoning contracts, how about we take a little field trip and I give them a demonstration?"

"As long as you can finish up before their parents get here, I don't think it'll be a problem." Iruka said warily. "And that's only if they want to go, of course."

"Hey, everyone! Who wants the Hokage to show them some really cool jutsu?" Naruto asked the students enthusiastically.

The class started to shout excitedly in agreement. The decision it seemed, had already been made before Naruto even asked the question. And from the look on his face, Iruka could see that Naruto was eating up the attention like ramen from Ichiraku's.

* * *

In a flash of yellow light, twenty-one children and two adults appeared in the middle of training ground twenty-six, their hands interlocked. The formation didn't last long, as a few of the students fell to the ground soon after, woozy from the sudden lurch in their surroundings.

"You weren't kidding when you said that might be a bit…disorienting." Iruka commented, while rubbing his temples.

"Yeah, the Hiraishin no Jutsu can have that effect if you're not used to it." Naruto said sympathetically, as he helped some of the children stand back up. "Don't worry; it'll wear off in about a minute."

Once everyone made a full recovery, Naruto addressed the class. "Listen up, everyone. The first thing I'm going to show you is how a summons is done. The one I'll be summoning is Gamabunta, who happens to be the Chief Toad from Mount Myōboku, and there are two things you need to remember when he appears."

"First is that even though Gamabunta is a very imposing and intimidating, don't go running off in fright when you see him. He's not really dangerous unless you make him mad, and that brings me to the second item. You all need to remember that Gamabunta is a TOAD. Do **NOT** – under any circumstances – call him a frog."

A boy raised his hand. "What's the difference?" He asked curiously.

Naruto tilted his head in thought, and then chuckled. "You know, I've never really bothered to find that out. But his name begins with 'Gama' which means toad, and not 'Kaeru' which means frog. So that should tell you it's a very sensitive subject for him. Does everyone understand?"

The entire class nodded in agreement. Naruto adopted a serious look and crooked his finger at Hikaru. "While the rest of your class stays here, you're coming with me."

"Um, sure Dad." He said a bit reluctantly. "Can you tell me why, though?"

"Because you're my son, and I'm positive Gamabunta is going to want to meet you personally." Naruto smirked and asked, "You're not afraid, are you?"

The effect was immediate. "Me? Afraid? No way!" Hikaru shouted defiantly, walking swiftly out onto the field.

Naruto laughed inwardly at the sight as he followed his son. Despite the fact that he'd only been around the boy for only a few months, he found it uncanny how much Hikaru reminded Naruto of himself at that age.

Reaching the spot where Hikaru was standing, Naruto looked at him and inquired, "Are you ready?" After receiving a nod, Naruto bit his thumb and flashed through a few hands signs before slamming it into the ground and exclaiming, "Summoning Jutsu!"

A giant cloud of smoke appeared, and as it dissipated Gamabunta was revealed. _All eighty two feet of him._

Having seen Gamabunta before, Naruto and Iruka knew what to expect. However, the entire class – including Hikaru – was stunned speechless at the sight, leaving Naruto to wonder which student was going to crack first.

"Holy cow!" A girl's voice exclaimed in shock. "He's **HUGE**!"

"Yeah! That's totally awesome!" A boy shouted back.

Gamabunta looked around before spying Naruto standing in front of him. "Oi! Minion!"

Naruto smiled. "Hey Gamabunta, long time no see."

Gamabunta let out a large puff of smoke from his pipe. "It **_has_** been quite a while, hasn't it?"

Slightly embarrassed, he rubbed the back of his neck and said, "Yeah, sorry about that. I know I should have contacted one of you guys sooner than this, but a lot's been going on in my life over the last several years."

Gamabunta looked around. "You don't appear to be in any trouble. You know how I hate being summoned when there isn't anyone for me to fight, so why'd you do it?"

"For a couple reasons, actually. I wanted to you meet my son, Hikaru." Naruto gestured and said, "Hikaru this is Gamabunta, the Chief Toad of Mount Myōboku."

Looking up, Hikaru nervously waived at him and said, "Uh…Hi, Chief Toad."

The same girl from before exclaimed, "And it talks too!"

This was followed once again by the same boy from before. "Yeah! That's totally awesome!"

"Shut up, Taysuke!" The girl hissed quietly. "Frogs aren't supposed to be able to talk! And why do you always think everything is awesome?"

"Not everything is awesome Nishi, but in this case it is! So there! Thwppp!" Taysuke retorted, sticking out his tongue and giving her the raspberry.

Gamabunta lowered his face to within a few feet of Hikaru in order to study him. "The tadpole doesn't appear to have any of your physical characteristics. Are you sure he's yours, and not some waif you picked up off the streets?"

"Hey! I resent that!" Hikaru shouted, offended at the comment. "My dad is the greatest ninja ever, and he wouldn't lie about who I am to anyone! You take that back!" He shouted, shaking his fist menacingly at the toad.

Gamabunta laughed at Hikaru's antics. "My mistake." He said dryly. "It's apparent to me now that he's your son, since his mannerisms are very much like yours used to be. Although based on his appearance I would guess he's around eight of your human years in age, which makes me wonder why Ma and Pa haven't seen the boy, or been told of this before now."

"That's because I only recently found out about him being by son. There were…complications surrounding the truth of the matter, but that's all been straightened out. When I bring my family to visit everyone at Mount Myōboku, I can explain everything in more detail."

"I'm sure Ma and Pa would like that, since they wonder how 'Naruto-boy' is doing quite often, you know." He spied Iruka and the other students standing about thirty feet in front of him, the looks on their faces ranging from curiosity, to shock and fear. "And now I'm guessing that this group has something to do with me being summoned as well."

Naruto shrugged noncommittally. "You guessed right. This is the rest of Hikaru's class at the academy. Today's lesson dealt with summoning contracts, and when I told them that the Toad contract was one of the most powerful they didn't believe me. They were also firmly convinced that you guys were quite small, and not nearly as powerful as the Wolf contract."

"Is that right?" Gamabunta asked sharply, lowering his face to within several feet of the group. "Which one of you said that?"

"IT WAS HIM! IT WAS HIM!" Nishi blurted out; her eyes wide with fright and pointing at Shiga.

"SQUEALER!" Shiga countered. He pointed back at Nishi and declared, "SHE CALLED YOU A FROG!"

Gamabunta swiveled his gaze around and stared Nishi down, blowing out a long puff of smoke as he did so. "Is this true?"

It took all of two seconds before her eyes rolled up in her head and Nishi fainted.

Naruto saw this, and was immediately reminded of Hinata from when they were kids…although she would faint for an entirely different reason. He was sure Gamabunta had enjoyed watching the girl pass out under his intimidating gaze, and before another child followed suit he decided to intervene.

"I think that's enough for today, Gamabunta. If you could, please tell Fukasaku and Shima that I'll contact them sometime soon for a visit, and I'll make sure to have a barrel of sake as payment for you showing up today."

Gamabunta nodded and said, "I'll do that. And make sure the sake is some of the best." He turned his head to stare at Hikaru. "I'll be seeing you again, brat. I guarantee it." And with that, he disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"That was so cool, Dad!" Hikaru shouted with glee. "What's next?"

Naruto smirked at his son, who appeared to be enjoying showing him off to his classmates far too much. "YOU are going to stand with everyone else for this next part. It's very dangerous and I don't want you, or anyone else getting hurt. Okay?"

As Hikaru rejoined his class, he saw Iruka doing his best to wake up Nishi. "Naruto…I mean, Hokage-sama…Why am I not surprised that something like this happened?"

"According to what Shiga said, Nishi called Gamabunta a frog. I warned everyone not to do that." He stared accusingly at the boy. "Although we could have done without you pointing it out. Rather loudly, I might add."

Shiga suddenly found his feet very interesting. "She ratted me out first, Hokage-sama. I wasn't gonna let her get away with that."

Naruto fought the urge to laugh at the statement. Fortunately enough he didn't have to struggle long, since Nishi woke up a few seconds after that.

"Okay, for this next part it's important that everyone maintain a safe distance. First I'm going to demonstrate what the Rasengan can do, and then I'm going to show you what happens when you add wind element to it."

He held up his right hand and everyone saw the swirling mass of chakra appear. "This is the same technique everyone saw Hikaru and me create in the classroom earlier. Right?"

There were grunts and nods of agreement from most of them, while Hikaru stood to the side with his hands crossed in front of his chest, grinning smugly. Naruto walked out into the clearing, stopping in front of a large boulder. "Everybody watching?" He heard a chorus of 'yes' answers to his question. Grinning roguishly, he lifted his arm and shouted, "Check this out!"

Naruto drove his arm forward into the boulder, and they all watched as the Rasengan bored a hole through the middle of it like a drill. Once his arm was almost elbow deep, the rock seemed to shudder – like it was hoping to stand firm against the technique – but barely a moment later it exploded, showering Naruto with dust and debris.

Impressed by the display, the class turned to stare wide eyed at Hikaru, who hadn't moved an inch during the entire thing.

"Your jutsu can do that?" Taysuke asked. "That's totally awesome!"

"Yeah, I haven't had a chance to test it out on anything yet, but after seeing what Dad just did with it I gotta agree. It **_is_** totally awesome." Hikaru said.

Naruto walked back over to stand in front of the class. He held up a finger and said, "Now THIS time I'm going to add wind element to it, which greatly increases its destructive capabilities. But the only way to make sure I don't suffer any backlash from using it is to enter sage mode, which is what I'm going to show you right now."

He sat on the ground and closed his eyes, assuming the lotus position as he began to meditate. Everyone in the class wondered what he was doing until they saw the area around his eyes turn reddish-orange, and when he opened them up they all noticed his irises became yellow with black horizontal pupils.

Naruto stood back up and pointed at his eyes. "THIS is what happens when you become a master of the Sage Arts, and have the ability to harness nature energy. It dramatically increases your strength, speed and sensory awareness, and it's the only way I can perform this technique safely." He placed his hands behind his back and began to pace in front of the students. "Now before we go any further, there are a few items that need to be stressed, especially to one individual in particular."

"I'm not sure if Iruka-sensei went over this yet in class, but the element I'm about to combine the Rasengan with – _wind_ – is the rarest of affinities. It consists of mostly short to mid-range techniques, combining precision with brute force and the offensive capabilities of it are quite deadly." He stopped and motioned his head toward Hikaru. "Now it's come to my attention that Hikaru had his chakra affinity secretly tested while I was gone and apparently its wind, just like mine. And that's why I'm directing this next comment solely at him."

Naruto lowered his face to within inches of Hikaru's and stared ominously at his son. "You are never – EVER – under any circumstances to try what I'm about to do next unless you've been schooled in the Sage Arts. I'm telling you this as your friend, your father and last of all as your Hokage. Because if you're ever stupid enough to ignore me and attempt to do it anyway, you should know that you'll cause irreparable damage to your arm, and more than likely lose full use of it permanently. Your career as a ninja for all intents and purposes will effectively be over. But as bad as all that sounds, it will pale in comparison to the punishment your mother and I will inflict upon you afterwards. Do I make myself absolutely clear?"

Hikaru swallowed heavily. As unnerving as it normally would have been to be stared down by his father, the effect was magnified significantly because his eyes looked exactly like that gigantic toad his father had summoned before. Add to that the horrifying images of what his mother would do to him if he ever tried to copy what he was about to see, and Hikaru decided to live with an unsatisfied curiosity for once. He nodded vigorously to let his father know he understood the implied threat completely.

"Good!" Naruto exclaimed, his mood shifting suddenly back to positive. He walked out about thirty feet in front of the class and created a single clone, somehow without using hand signs which Hikaru found very interesting. Then he raised his right hand and created a Rasengan, holding it high for everyone to see.

"Once again, this is the same technique everyone saw me use on the boulder a few minutes ago. Correct?"

This time, instead of grunts he received a much more enthusiastic chorus of agreements. It appeared that the class was far more eager to see this demonstration than the last one, probably because they knew Hikaru was forbidden to do it.

Naruto held the Rasengan out, and the clone started to apply wind element to it. Everyone watched, transfixed as four large chakra blades appeared around it and began to spin, creating a screeching noise that made the hairs on the back of their necks stand on end. What's worse is that as the blades grew larger the screeching sound became louder and more grating, sending a shiver down their collective spines.

Chuckling fiendishly, Naruto lifted the sphere into the air and declared, "Wind Style: Rasenshuriken." And then he turned, hurling the swirling vortex towards the forest at the far end of the clearing.

Everyone that watching expected it to blow up once it hit the trees, but it didn't. Instead it sliced through them, mowing them down with almost surgical precision – along with anything else that might be unfortunate enough to get in the way.

Once it reached about five hundred yards out, Naruto cut off his connection with it and caused it to explode. A dome of rapidly spinning chakra appeared and it expanded, taking only a few seconds to get as big as Gamabunta was. When it hit them, the resulting shockwave was impressive enough that everyone struggled to remain standing, and it carved a significant chunk out of the forest, as the technique shredded everything within its blast radius.

As the dome of spinning chakra slowly receded, Naruto released his sage mode and walked back over to where Iruka and his class were standing dumbfounded at the sheer display of power they just witnessed. He asked them all to join hands once again and they did so, allowing Naruto to transport them once again back to the classroom where he'd drawn the Hiraishin seal on the chalkboard before they left.

Once they reappeared, Naruto walked over to Hikaru and placed a hand on his shoulder. He looked around the room and with an air of finality said, "I hope everyone enjoyed today's demonstration by your newest Hokage. And with that, I believe class is dismissed for the day." Then the two of them disappeared in a flash of yellow light.

The class stood silent for a while and Iruka decided to remain quiet, letting his students absorb everything they'd seen until someone decided to speak up. Unsurprisingly, it was a voice they'd heard several times already.

"I know I said this a lot today…" Taysuke reiterated. "…but THAT…WAS…AWESOME!"

And for once, no one disagreed with him.

* * *

_Knock, knock, knock._

From his seat in the hospital room Sasuke turned around and spotted Kakashi standing in the doorway.

"Yo." Kakashi said in greeting, waiving his hand. "Thought I'd come by and see the newest member of the Uchiha clan."

As he mouthed the words, he quickly took in the demeanor of the room. Sakura was lying motionless in the bed, her eyes faraway as she stared out the window. Her face was a blank slate and held no emotion…not even a smile graced her lips, which was odd considering she was now the mother of the child she always wanted.

However, the small smile that Sasuke wore could be equated to an ear splitting grin on almost anyone else. His eyes shone with joy as he looked at his index finger, which was clutched in the tiny hand of the baby lying in the bassinet right next to his chair.

If it had been any other situation, Kakashi would have laughed at how odd the scene was. Less than a year ago, the roles of the two members of the Uchiha clan would have been reversed. Sasuke would have been the impassive one, caring only that the rebuilding of his clan had finally begun while Sakura on the other hand, would have been fawning all over their newborn child.

"Who am I to say no to a request like that?" Sasuke motioned for him to come over and he gently peeled the blanket back. A pair of half-lidded jet black eyes stared back at them, the cheeks slightly rosy. The hand that wasn't holding Sasuke's finger was curled up underneath the chin, and the lips smacked a little bit, as if tasting the air or searching for the first meal. The finishing touch was the fine, soft pink hair that covered the top of her head.

"Kakashi-sensei, I'd like you to meet my daughter, Mikomi Uchiha." Sasuke said, his eyes beaming with pride.

_Daughter? Kakashi thought. This might be a problem. Sakura's been going on and on for the last two months telling anyone who'd listen that she was carrying a MALE Uchiha heir._

He eye smiled as he looked at the baby and said, "Hello, Mikomi. It's very nice to meet you." Then he shifted his gaze to Sakura. "Congratulations, Sakura. She's absolutely adorable. You must be very proud."

Sakura slowly turned her head in his direction, blinking a few times before continuing on to stare at her daughter lying in the bassinet. A ghost of a smile played across her lips as she softly answered, "Thank you, Kakashi-sensei." Then as cryptic as it appeared the smile vanished, and Sakura went back to staring out of the window.

_Okay, that was extremely off kilter. I should ask Sasuke what's going on, but I can't do it in front of Sakura._

"Is there something on your mind, Kakashi-sensei?" Sasuke said curiously. "You look very deep in thought."

"You're observant as always, Sasuke. There are questions I wanted to ask you privately at our meeting earlier, but I didn't have a chance to do so because you were needed here. Can you spare a few minutes to talk?"

Sasuke nodded and disengaged his finger from Mikomi's grip. He then turned and placed a hand on Sakura's forehead, brushing the hair away from her eyes lovingly. "Will you be alright for a few minutes, Sakura?"

She nodded absently. "Yes, I'll be fine. Thank you, Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke followed Kakashi out into the hall, closing the door tightly behind him. "It's only been a couple of hours since I left your office. What could you possibly need to ask me about that was so private that you'd come here to do it?" He raised one of his eyebrows as a notion popped into his head. "Unless…"

Kakashi interrupted him. "Yes Sasuke, they're about Naruto. But before I get to that, tell me…what the hell's going on in there?" He motioned his head towards the hospital room. "Your wife just gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, the first Uchiha in almost twenty years and she's acting like her life is over. I've got ANBU agents that display more emotion than she is right now."

Sasuke rubbed his forehead, feeling as confused as Kakashi was. "I have no clue whatsoever. She's been like this ever since the baby was born. I'd chalk it up to post-partum depression, but according to the books I've read that shouldn't start for a couple more weeks." He narrowed his eyes accusingly. "Unless while I've been out of the village, something's been going on that I **should** know about."

Kakashi realized he'd just done the very thing he wanted to avoid today, which is tell Sasuke about what's been going on with Sakura. Sighing in resignation, Kakashi stared sympathetically at Sasuke, suddenly feeling like he'd aged ten years in an instant.

"Look, I didn't want to mention any of this to you today, what with it being your first day back and then coming to the hospital unexpectedly, but the last two months around here have been…intense, to say the least. Word spread about the conversation the four of you had in the hospital the day Anubis attacked, and the villagers have pretty much made it known that they're not pleased with what Sakura did. The ANBU I've assigned to her for assistance have been keeping me informed, and they tell me that she hasn't apologized to anyone or done one selfless act to try and make amends during the entire time you've been gone. The entire ordeal has been trying my patience on a number of levels, especially with the villagers and the rest of your classmates."

Sasuke took a moment for everything to sink in, before he frowned disapprovingly. "It appears that my wife didn't take to heart the advice I gave her in the letter I left, which shouldn't come as a surprise, considering both of us are well acquainted with her stubborn nature. At this point, I'm open to suggestions if you have any, since I believe a lecture from me is the last thing she needs. Perhaps it should be someone who has more experience in these matters and can use a…gentle touch with Sakura."

Kakashi grunted. "Agreed, and I think I have an idea. I'll have Tsunade come by here tomorrow, since not only does she have experience in handling delicate situations like this, but the two of them DO share a common bond as teacher and student. Besides, I think it's about time they talked anyway. There's a lot of unresolved tension between them."

Sasuke nodded in agreement. "So all that aside, what exactly did you have to ask me about Naruto? Like I said, I can't be very specific about what happened. Telling you my name was pushing it."

Kakashi eye smiled at him. "I know, but after tomorrow I don't think generalities are going to be that much of an issue anymore. While you two were gone, someone from your organization and her daughter showed up in the village looking for Naruto. I told her where the two of you went and why, and she decided to wait until Naruto got back since she won't reveal why she's here to anyone else but him. However, I'm positive that will extend to you since you're now a member. So, rather than have the two of them languish in isolation until your return, I've had them staying at the house with Hinata since she's the only other person in the village who even knows about your organization. And as my last official act as Hokage, I'm calling for a meeting between the four of us tomorrow morning at nine o'clock."

Sasuke looked at him quizzically. "Let me get this straight. You've had someone from our organization – a female member and her daughter – staying with Hinata since they showed up in the village? When was that?"

"About a month or so ago. Why?"

Sasuke ignored him. "Is THAT the reason why you were intentionally vague earlier? Did Naruto know the two of them were there before you sent him home?"

"Of course not. I figured he might like the surprise. Besides, it's much more entertaining and fun for me this way."

Sasuke groaned. "You know, you're only making things worse for yourself, Kakashi-sensei. Besides being our new Hokage, Naruto is the king of pranks. I'm sure whatever revenge he's been plotting against you since this morning has already gone up several notches."

"Like I said a few hours ago, I can worry about that all I want while I'm retired. Now, what I really wanted to ask you about Naruto is an answer I've been trying to get out of him for months." Kakashi leaned forward and asked inquisitively, "Just how strong is he?"

Sasuke blanched. "You know, it's ironic that you should ask that, because on this trip I came to the realization that if the two of us ever got into a fight again, the dobe would beat me hands down. Not to mention the amount of damage we'd do to the surrounding landscape."

"I find that a bit hard to believe, Sasuke. The one time I saw Naruto in action was against Anubis, and even though it was pretty impressive – especially that Unstable Resonance jutsu he did – I didn't see anything that would scare someone like you that much."

"That's because you're forgetting your own rule, Kakashi-sensei. You need to look underneath the underneath."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow in bafflement. "I'm not sure what you mean."

"Well, think of it like this. If you were tasked with killing an ant – one small, insignificant creature about a half an inch long – would you go out of your way to drop a large rock on it, or just use the tip of your finger?"

Kakashi shrugged. "The tip of my finger, I guess. Why waste the effort if I don't need to?"

"And that's exactly my point." Sasuke said smugly. "You and I both know that it's a ninja's job to be cunning. To use deceit and trickery if we have to, in order to complete the mission and return home alive. To always hide your true abilities, so that you can catch the enemy off guard. Naruto hasn't shown you his real power because he hasn't had a need to, and he wanted to make sure no one else was injured or hurt because of it."

Kakashi deadpanned. "So you're telling me his techniques are really that dangerous?"

Sasuke nodded. "I had a chance to see most of them during the training. You're lucky he didn't use any when he fought Anubis, otherwise he'd have taken out a chunk of the village along with killing that pathetic excuse of a human being. Naruto only used taijutsu and the Unstable Resonance jutsu because it was the best way to take him out while causing the least amount of damage."

"I will say this, Kakashi-sensei. If you ever…**EVER**…see him truly pissed off – enough so that he uses Kurama's chakra – just start running as fast as you can and hope whatever distance you put between the two of you will be enough. The dobe's true maximum – not that shell of it you've seen so far – is without a doubt a frightening thing to behold."

* * *

Early the next morning, Naruto and Freyja found themselves walking through the streets of the village. Kakashi had summoned them for a nine o'clock meeting to discuss what Freyja had come to the village about, and afterwards Naruto would begin his duties as the Hokage of Konoha. Hikaru had just left for his classes at the academy, and they'd asked Hinata to watch over Reira until Freyja got back to the house.

Even though the streets were sparsely populated with people, those that saw Naruto smiled and waved, offering him their congratulations. Any children that happened to be around ran up to meet him, awestruck at being able to meet the man who had done so much, not only for the village but the elemental nations as well. Being Hokage only made the moment that much more special.

All the attention he was getting also made the walk to the Hokage Tower slow going. Naruto had briefly thought about using the shunshin to get there, but decided against it since it was his first day on the job, and he wanted thank the villagers personally by showing himself in public.

"You know, we could have avoided all of this by either leaving earlier or using a henge to disguise ourselves." Freyja commented.

"Yeah, you're probably right." Naruto said, smiling at the sight of a little girl running to tell her parents that she had just met the new Hokage. "But I worked my ass off to get this job, and have everyone in the village see me as something other than a monster. A little meet and greet isn't going to hurt any, and frankly it's a small price to pay for everything I've gained in the last few months."

Freyja glanced sideways at him. "Monster? Why the hell would these people see you as a monster?"

"Umm…That's a conversation we can have some other time." Naruto said, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "Let's just get to the office so everyone can hear what you have to say."

Freyja snorted. "I'm still wondering why the hell we're having our meeting there. You know the rules, Gabriel. The Cyclops isn't part of our group, so why are you even letting him listen in?"

"For a variety of reasons, but the most important one is that when I'm out of the village, Kakashi-sensei is going to be in charge and if that's the case, it's important for him to have some basic knowledge about us to deal with potential threats and defend the village. And for your information Freyja, he's not a Cyclops. Kakashi-sensei has two working eyes; he just covers one of them up most of the time."

"Really?" Freyja asked, her curiosity peaked. "He keeps his other eye hidden, along with the rest of his face? Why? Is he horribly disfigured or something?"

He shook his head. "What's actually underneath his mask is one of the biggest secrets in the village, and I don't know of anyone alive that's actually seen him without it. He's dressed in that outfit since before I was born. I guess because it's the same outfit his dad used to wear before he died. Rumor has it that he's actually quite handsome, even though no one has any proof of it."

"Right. Let's just say I'll believe it when I see it."

Naruto smirked. "You and everyone else in the village."

A few minutes later, the two of them arrived at the Hokage Tower and walked into the office. Sasuke was already there, sitting on the couch and looking very tired, but also contented.

"Welcome, you two." Kakashi greeted them. As soon as the door closed he raised the privacy seals, and then eye smiled at Naruto and said teasingly, "So I'm guessing you figured out what I was alluding to yesterday about having another conversation regarding the Mienai Segi."

"Yeah. Real nice, Kakashi-sensei." Naruto said scathingly. "You know how much of a shock it was when I walked in the door and saw Freyja and Reira? Not to mention the fact that Hinata thought Reira was my daughter?"

"Wait…Did I just hear you say that Hinata thought Reira was yours?" Freyja asked incredulously. "Why didn't you mention this before now? And where the hell did she get a ridiculous idea like that?"

"I didn't mention it because it wasn't worth mentioning. And as far as where she got the ridiculous idea, it's because Reira has blonde hair and blue eyes, like me."

"A lot of people have blond hair and blue eyes, Gabriel."

"My wife jumps to conclusions sometimes. I've tried breaking her of the habit, but so far I haven't had very much success."

"Hn." She motioned her head towards Sasuke. "What's the reason for him being here?"

"Oh, sorry. Freyja, this is Sasuke Uchiha. During my mission to talk with Saladin, I brought him along as a possible candidate. He passed the initial training and is now a member of the Mienai Segi. He's my friend, my rival and my brother in everything but blood."

Freyja eyed Sasuke warily. After a few seconds, she cocked an eyebrow and asked, "What name did Saladin give you?"

"Thanatos." Sasuke said curtly.

This time both eyebrows went up. "Thanatos? The demon of death? Not bad. You must have really impressed Saladin to get that name. It's not every day he gives out an alias that's so…blunt."

"Thanks…I think." He said blandly. "While we're at it, what does your name mean?"

Freyja sported a wicked grin. "She's the Queen of the Valkyries, who are pretty much a bad ass warrior race of women. She's got a wicked broadsword and isn't afraid to use it."

_Now who's being blunt about their alias?_ Kakashi thought. He cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. "All of this is very fascinating, but let's try to remember why we're here in the first place. When Freyja showed up here a little over a month ago, I told her that you and Sasuke went to see Saladin because Anubis attacked the village. Her response to that was 'he's already started to move' and refused to say anything else until you got back." He gestured towards Naruto. "Now that he's here, how about you fill us in as to what's going on?"

Freyja stared at Kakashi for a moment and then sighed, before collapsing into one of the chairs in front of his desk. "I know who ordered Anubis to attack your village, and it's the same person who's leading the renegade faction of the Mienai Segi." She gave Naruto a haunted look and said, "It's Gideon."

As soon as he heard the name, Naruto froze. Not from surprise, shock or even fear…but because he was angry. It was his first day on the job, and Freyja had just dropped this tremendous pile of shit in his lap.

"Fuck." Since he couldn't go to training ground twenty-six right now and vent some frustrations out on the landscape, he decided to settle for cursing instead. "Fuck. Fuck. Fuck." He walked over to the window, so he could look out over the village he'd sworn to protect. He raised his hands over his head and screamed, "FUCK!"

Kakashi watched the display with mild interest. "Not that I'm trying to interrupt your – well, whatever it is you're doing – but who exactly is Gideon?"

"Fuck."

"And thank you for that informative description." Kakashi said sarcastically, turning to Sasuke. "Can **you** tell me who Gideon is?"

Sasuke shook his head. "It's obvious that he's one of the Mienai Segi, but other than that I have no idea. We never talked about the other members of the organization, and meetings between them and Saladin were done while Naruto and I were off somewhere training."

"He's the second strongest member after Saladin." Naruto said, deciding to offer something other than a constant stream of vulgarity. "Roughly translated, his name means 'the destroyer'. You guys can fill in the blanks on the rest. And if he's involved, there's no telling how deep this goes or how bad things could possibly get." He stared hard at Freyja. "What caused him to go rogue?"

"I'm not really sure. But he's twisting the meanings behind what Saladin taught us. He's got it in his head that the only way to achieve happiness and enlightenment is through overwhelming strength and oppressive power. He believes it's his destiny to rule."

Naruto rubbed his forehead in frustration, as he digested what he just heard. "You just said he's the one in charge of the renegade faction. So who else is working for him?"

Freyja shrugged. "Other than Anubis, I've got no idea – and the only reason I know about him is because Hokage-sama here spilled the beans about your fight when I showed up in the village. As to how many, there should be about six left since you offed Anubis and his private army."

Naruto began to pace around the room, clearly agitated. "That's far too much support for this to be a recent development. And that tells me he's been plotting behind the scenes for quite some time. So then how the hell is he getting around Saladin's Mind Submission jutsu?"

She grunted. "He's learned how to shield himself from it, obviously. Don't ask me how he does it, because I didn't ask and he never told me. But I'll bet Hokage-sama's mask that everyone working for him knows how to do it too."

He stopped pacing. "Does Saladin know about any of this?"

She shook her head sadly. "No. As much as I wanted to tell him, Reira's safety is my first priority. When I found out what was going on, I smuggled Reira out in the middle of the night as soon as I could. You told me once that you were originally from Konoha, so I came here in secret, looking for you."

Kakashi narrowed his eye accusingly as he looked at Freyja. "That doesn't make any sense to me. If Saladin is the strongest one of the Mienai Segi, then why wouldn't you go to him first?"

Freyja glared at him. "Other than going to see Saladin first is exactly what Gideon would expect me to do? It's because several years ago when I offered myself to Gabriel and he turned me down, he promised instead that he'd be there for me if I ever needed help – and as much as it galls me to admit it, that's exactly what I need right now. There's no way I'm going up against Gideon alone, and Gabriel is stronger than I am. So I'm formally requesting sanctuary in this village for both Reira and myself."

Kakashi and Sasuke slowly turned their heads to stare incredulously at Naruto.

He sighed awkwardly. "Fine. Since you're both going to ask, it was a few years after I joined the Mienai Segi and I was still looking for ways to end my life. I was asking Saladin specifically for suicide missions and challenged anyone I could to a fight, hoping someone would be strong enough to take me out permanently. Freyja accepted my challenge, we fought and I beat her. She showed up at my room later that night and offered herself to me unconditionally. I politely declined her offer."

The other two men in the room scrutinized Freyja for a moment before turning their gaze back to Naruto.

"Okay, I'll bite." Sasuke said, baffled. "Considering what she looks like, why the hell would you do something as stupid as that?"

"If you must know, I was still having Sakura issues at the time." Naruto said brusquely. "The offer was still very tempting, though."

Kakashi's lone eye went wide, and he snapped his fingers as a sudden realization hit him. "Okay, wait a minute. The day you showed up in the village, I asked you where your tattoos were and you said that only two people other than Saladin have seen them. You practically just admitted that Naruto has seen you – err, naked is really the nicest way to say it – which tells me that's the only way someone can see your tattoos. And if that's the case, then I'm willing to bet that the other person who's seen them would be Reira's father."

A pall of silence came over the room, as Freyja said nothing to refute the claim Kakashi had just made.

"It's Gideon, isn't it?" Sasuke said almost accusingly. "That's the reason why you know so much about him, and it's the reason why you're asking for sanctuary in Konoha. Which begs the question…does he know Reira is his daughter?"

Her demeanor suddenly changed as Freyja growled menacingly. "Absolutely not. You two are the only members of the Mienai Segi that know about Reira's existence, and other than our name, Reira doesn't know anything about who we are or what we do. I've gone through a hell of a lot of trouble to keep each side ignorant of the other, and it's gonna stay that way."

Sasuke looked at Naruto and asked, "So what happens now? We all know that Saladin has to be informed about this as soon as possible. You're the Hokage now so that means you're staying put. So between me and Freyja, who are you going to send?"

Naruto began to pace again, as he considered all the options available. One thing he'd learned during his Hokage training was that no decision – no matter how small – should be taken lightly, and this one was significantly larger and more important than the rest.

"Neither one of you." He finally said. "Freyja asked me to protect her and Reira, so she's staying in the village, point blank. A trip for you to where Saladin is will be a two week round trip at best since you can't use the Hiraishin no Jutsu, and you're a brand new father as well. I'm not heartless enough to pull a stunt like that and send you away again after being gone for two months. Besides, I'm going to need you around for something I've got planned with the village council."

"I know it's breaking the rules, but I'm going to send an ANBU to deliver the message to Saladin. Freyja, I'll honor my word and give you sanctuary but you're going to give me concessions in return. I'll discuss what those are later, along with what you asked me this morning. Sasuke, go back to the hospital and spend some time with Sakura and the baby. I'll see you tomorrow to discuss the idea I need your help with in regards to the council." Freyja and Sasuke nodded, acknowledging his instructions before he lowered the privacy seals, allowing them to leave the office.

Kakashi looked at him sympathetically and said, "Not the kind of thing you were expecting your first day on the job, but I think you did just fine. Even if you weren't Hokage, I would have had you here anyway because you're the most qualified person to make a decision about this particular subject."

Naruto gave him an icy stare. "Yeah, right. Compliments aren't going to work this time, Kakashi-sensei. I'm still plotting my revenge against you for a variety of things. This little talk today just made it worse. And don't even think about leaving this office, because you're sticking around for at least the next week to help me with the transition."

"That's fair enough. But as my last official act as Rokudaime Hokage, I'd like to ask you a few questions if you don't mind."

Naruto shrugged. "I don't see why not. Go ahead."

Kakashi fidgeted a bit, before looking at Naruto sheepishly. "Umm…I was wondering if you could tell me a bit about Freyja. What's her specialty?"

Naruto gave Kakashi a blank stare, clearly shocked. He'd expected his former sensei to ask something far different than this. "She's a kenjutsu expert – probably the best I've ever seen, but she uses a broadsword instead of a katana. Basically, she's as fast and strong as Might Guy, but her skills make Tenten – who's pretty damn good – look like an amateur. She also has an earth affinity to boot."

"A broadsword? She didn't have any weapons on her when she arrived in the village, and I'm positive she wouldn't have left something like that behind before she fled wherever she was."

"She keeps it here." Naruto said, pointing to a spot on his back. "As a favor, I tattooed a storage seal at the top of her spine a few weeks after we met. It's far more practical that way, since a four foot long broadsword would stick out like a sore thumb during covert missions, which the organization does quite often. I won't tell you what the sword is capable of, but I will tell you it has a name. She calls it SuchīRushadou."

Kakashi mulled that over for a moment, before nodding in understanding. "Okay, last question. Where exactly are her tattoos? And why does someone have to defeat her in battle in order to see them?"

Naruto blinked a few times, and then he grinned lecherously as he finally understood where Kakashi was going with this. "Why Kakashi-sensei…You wouldn't happen to actually LIKE Freyja, would you?"

Kakashi's eye went wide with shock. "What? No! No, I'm just asking for…uh, a friend…who, you know…was just curious. And thought she was interesting. That's all."

Naruto thought that was the most pathetic lie he'd ever heard in his life, and it was clear that his former sensei was embarrassed at being caught asking something so obvious.

"The mentality of the Valkyries – which of course is where Freyja derives her name - is that they will offer their mind, body and soul only to someone who has proven themselves worthy by defeating them in battle. With Freyja that's a pretty short list of people. As for her tattoos, they're on the front of her hips which means that her underwear pretty much has to be off in order to see them, and that's not happening unless you beat her in a fight."

Kakashi stared at a spot on his desk for a minute. He knew Naruto was well aware of why he was asking, which is why Naruto gave him the answer that he did. If he was truly interested, he was going to have to earn the right to be with Freyja because she wouldn't accept him any other way. And with what Naruto said about her skills it was going to be pretty fucking hard, even with him being an elite jōnin, for Kami's sake.

He looked up at Naruto and eye smiled. "So…Want to try out the seat?"

Naruto nodded and his eyes lit up, as he watched Kakashi vacate the spot he'd always dreamed of occupying since he was young. He sat down and caressed the top of the desk with his hands, as a grin of pure joy appeared on his face.

The sight reminded Kakashi of a child who'd received the best birthday gift in their life. He chuckled as he sat down on the couch and asked, "What are you going to do first?"

Naruto hesitated for a second, and then opened the top right drawer to press a button. Within moments, an ANBU wearing a Hawk mask was kneeling in front of him.

When Hawk saw who was sitting at the desk, he turned to look at Kakashi who then nodded and gestured towards Naruto. Hawk turned back and said, "My apologies, Hokage-sama. How may I be of assistance?"

"Do you know if Temari Sabaku and Shikamaru Nara in the village?"

Hawk nodded. "Yes. They arrived two days ago from Suna."

"Bring them to my office as soon as possible."

The ANBU nodded and disappeared in cloud of smoke.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "Interesting. Are you planning on having them head back to Suna and tell Gaara you finally made Hokage?"

Naruto bared his teeth in an unnerving grin. "You know it. But before I do that, I'm going to make Shikamaru an offer he can't refuse."

* * *

**_*** One Hour Earlier***_**

Tsunade had just arrived at the hospital, but rather than head straight to her office she had a different destination in mind. Kakashi came to see her last night, concerned about the visit he'd had with Sasuke and Sakura the previous day.

She hadn't seen her former apprentice in over two months, and the reason for that had been…well, a combination of things. She'd spent the first month so completely shit-faced that she barely remembered anything at all. Memory blackouts because of excessive alcohol wasn't something that normally happened with her because of the tolerance she'd built up over the years, but apparently she'd made a concerted effort to make it happen anyways. Embarrassingly enough, she succeeded.

The second month she'd avoided Sakura because of anger issues with her former apprentice. After she'd sobered up – or rather, Hinata had forced her to – she'd sought out Neji, who according to rumor (or Ino, which was basically the same thing) had been eavesdropping outside the hospital room the night Naruto had confronted Hinata and Sakura over the Nadeshiko mission file.

Neji told her everything Sakura had said. Tsunade knew that wasn't the entire story, but it had been enough. Her anger at Sakura had grown exponentially, along with the guilt over how she'd treated her adopted grandson.

But as angry as she was, today she was going to take a different approach and subtly play the role of a psychologist. Yesterday, Kakashi had done two things – first of all, he'd pleaded with her to GENTLY find out what was wrong with Sakura. And second, he'd given his final command as Rokudaime Hokage to report her findings to Naruto, who would be the Shichidaime Hokage as of today.

In all honesty, both tasks scared the living shit out of her. Being gentle with anyone was never her strong suit, and Naruto – well, facing him would be one of the hardest things she'd ever had to do in her life.

She walked down the hall and rounded the corner towards the private wing of the maternity ward. As it always had with Sakura and herself, being one of the top medics in the village came with its share of benefits. The door to Sakura's room was open, and when Tsunade entered she saw that Sakura was awake and sitting up in bed, barely eating her food as she picked at her breakfast. Her new baby was laying a bassinet next to the bed, eyes curiously looking around the room.

"You and I both know that childbirth takes a lot out of you, Sakura. You should be eating far more than that."

Sakura 's head slowly came up as she looked in the direction of the voice. "Shishou. It's…good to see you." A small smile appeared on her face and she asked, "Are you here to see the baby?"

Tsunade nodded. "You know I'll never pass up an opportunity like that." She reached towards the bassinet and asked, "May I?"

Sakura nodded slightly. "Go ahead."

Tsunade picked up the baby, cradling it in her arms as she peeled back the blanket, revealing a pink head of hair. Tsunade knew right away that the baby was a girl, and that everyone who saw her would have no doubt that Sakura was her mother.

"She's beautiful, Sakura." Tsunade said, caressing the baby's cheek. "What did you name her?"

"I didn't. Sasuke-kun did. He named her Mikomi."

Tsunade smiled. "The name means hope. That's actually kind of prophetic."

"Yes." She said dully. "Sasuke-kun said it meant hope for our daughter. Hope for the clan. Hope for the future."

"Sakura, is something wrong?" Tsunade said, concerned. "I've helped several hundred women give birth over the years, and other than very extreme cases I have yet to see someone as…discorded as you are right now."

Sakura gave a heavy sigh. "I'm sorry Shishou, it's just that…this wasn't part of the plan."

"Plan? What plan? I'm a bit confused, Sakura. Wasn't having a baby and helping your husband restore the Uchiha clan what you've always wanted?" She held out Mikomi. "What about her? Don't you love your daughter?"

Sakura gazed at her daughter, and a full-fledged smile graced her face as she reached out and lovingly stroked Mikomi's head with her fingers. "Please don't misunderstand me, Lady Tsunade. I love my daughter very much; it's just that…she isn't what I was expecting. For the last few months, the doctors told me that I was having a MALE Uchiha heir. After Mikomi came out, I challenged them on it and they basically told me that between her hand being in the wrong place and the umbilical cord superimposed on top of that, they made a mistake reading the ultrasound." She stopped caressing the baby's head and turned back towards the window, her eyes faraway. "It's just another unexpected change that's happened recently in my life. I just wish that **I** could have been the one to inspire it for once."

Tsunade placed Mikomi back in the bassinet. "The way you worded that answer, you make it sound like there's more than one. Perhaps you could be a bit more specific."

Sakura turned back to stare at Tsunade, but the look in her eyes still seemed lost. "The…plan…my dream…since I was young has always been to marry Sasuke-kun and help him restore the Uchiha clan to greatness. I wanted to be the catalyst for that change, but instead it's been…Naruto."

Tsunade decided to play dumb for a bit, hoping that it would keep Sakura talking. "Umm...I'm still wondering what you're talking about, Sakura. What's Naruto got to do with this?"

"He has everything to do with this, Lady Tsunade. It's only been over the last few months that I've really had the chance to think about it, though. Naruto is the center. The source. Things have always revolved around him. It was bad enough when we were young, but over the last six months those changes have been…accelerated."

"I think you're exaggerating a bit, Sakura. A lot of what happened when you two were younger was centered around the Kyuubi, and the plans the Akatsuki had to create the Juubi and draw everyone into the Infinite Tsukuyomi. That's the fault of circumstance, not necessarily Naruto."

"Do you know what actually happened when I finally convinced Naruto to go after Sasuke-kun all those years ago?" Sakura said fervently, completely ignoring Tsunade. "Sasuke-kun told me that Naruto followed him around for two weeks, pleading with him to come back not only to Konoha, but to me as well. Naruto even wrote letters to all of the other Kage, cashing in several personal favors to make it possible." She turned to stare fiercely at Tsunade. "Apparently, how Sasuke-kun felt about me never entered into the picture. He came back because Naruto pestered him into doing it."

Tsunade barely kept her temper in check. According to Neji, there had been no 'convincing' – Sakura had ripped his heart out and drove him out of the village. Tsunade remembered vividly from her conversation with Naruto that he'd tried ardently – without success – to end his life since that happened, because he didn't want to live with the pain anymore.

"For the five years we've been married, I've tried everything I could think of to change Sasuke-kun. I wanted to make him less broody and open up emotionally. I wanted him to express his feelings outwardly, so that everyone could finally see the love he has for me." She slowly blinked, and a tear fell from the corner of her eye and ran down the side of her head. "We tried so many times to get pregnant. Whenever it didn't happen, all we'd do is argue back and forth over the reasons why. In five years…nothing changed. But I could live with it, because for once I was the center of attention. I was the focus of Sasuke's world. And that's the way I've always wanted it."

Her tone turned sullen. "And then Kakashi-sensei brought Naruto back to Konoha…and it's almost like he never left. Things are revolving around him, just like before. It galls me that after only six months of being back in the village, he's inspired more change in my husband than I ever have. Sasuke-kun has become more outgoing and expressive. He's less angry. His entire philosophy on life has changed. He told me that without intending to do so, Naruto showed him that protecting everyone who is precious to him is the true path to strength, and that's the path he wants to walk."

"He even asked Naruto to be his brother, considering him to be family as much as me. And the dobe accepted." Sakura said in a dead tone.

"And now Naruto is Hokage. He's beloved by the villagers. He has the family he always wanted. He's gotten everything while my world has crumbled around me, mainly because my so-called friends blabbed to everyone about the conversation Neji overheard that night at the hospital. The villagers hate me because I tried to give up Hikaru to an orphanage in Suna. Most businesses won't sell anything to me because of what I **_supposedly_** allowed to happen to Hinata."

_There's no supposedly about it. Tsunade thought. At any time you could have revealed the truth, but you allowed Hinata to suffer at the hands of the villagers. And the worst part is that I let it take place, making me just as guilty as you._

Sakura turned to look at the bassinet by her bed; her melancholy look suddenly replaced by one that was warm and sunny. "The baby was going to be my salvation from the hell I've been living through these past few months. The villagers would fixate less on me, and more on the first MALE Uchiha heir born in almost twenty years." She extended a hand to stroke her daughter's cheek. "I just hope Mikomi can still make that happen."

To anyone who might be watching the scene, Tsunade appeared calm and composed as she sat in her chair, but on the inside her mind was racing. Sakura had basically just spilled her guts as to the reasons behind her current…lethargic state. The fact that a mistake was made about the baby being a boy seemed to be a rather minor reason; Tsunade could plainly see that Sakura loved her daughter a great deal.

As to the rest, those reasons had a face – and it was Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze, current Hokage of Konoha. She blamed him for everything that had happened in her life recently, which was far from being reality. She was slipping mentally, and something needed to be done about it.

"Well, by the looks of things your daughter appears to be hungry." Tsunade said, smiling innocently. "Why don't I give you some privacy so you can feed her, while I see if anything can be done to make your situation a bit less…stressful going forward. Okay?"

Sakura smiled back, pleased at the offer for help. At least there was ONE person in the entire village that didn't treat her like a pariah. "That would be wonderful, Shishou. Thank you very much."

Tsunade rose and quickly left, closing the door behind her. Once she was out of Sakura's sight, the look on her face changed to one of extreme concern because she was worried about the ramifications of what she'd just heard.

She had no reason to believe that Sakura was a danger to her daughter. But it was plain to see that her views on who's to blame for her current situation were…skewed. Naruto was clearly the person she'd tagged as the main reason why her life was now so difficult. The rest of her classmates had been included to a lesser extent because they spread the story of the hospital conversation to everyone in the village.

As much as she was dreading it, she needed to see Naruto sometime today and tell him how unbalanced Sakura was acting. Hopefully he wouldn't hold too much of a grudge against either Sakura or herself – even though she wouldn't blame him if he did.

* * *

"Are you sure you didn't do anything wrong?"

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "For the last time troublesome woman, I'm positive. We've only been back in Konoha two days and you've been with me the entire time. Kakashi-sensei probably wants to send us back to Suna early for some reason."

Temari sighed. "Yeah, maybe you're right. It would be nice to get back home early for a change. Besides, right now with Matsuri pregnant I'm the only person who can handle her mood swings. Gaara has been trying to be understanding, but let's face it…emotions are not his strong suit."

Shikamaru grunted. "You'll get no argument from me about that."

They entered the Hokage's office only to find Kakashi sitting on the couch, reading one of his Icha Icha novels. He glanced up and eye smiled at them, as they stared back at him in confusion.

"Hokage-sama, is there a reason why you're just relaxing on your couch?" Temari asked curiously. "Every time we come to your office, you're always sitting…"

"Temari." Shikamaru interrupted her. "It's because he's not the Hokage anymore."

"What the hell are you talking about, Shika?" She asked, glaring at her boyfriend. "Who else…"

Her voice trailed off as the two of them looked at each other in abject horror before turning around to stare at the desk. Slowly, the chair rotated around to reveal Naruto, his fingers steepled in front of him and a wicked grin plastered across his face. As a finishing touch, he was wearing the Hokage hat.

"Kami help us. It's the end of the world as we know it." Shikamaru said cynically.

Temari nodded reluctantly. "I never thought I'd say this, but this meeting just became…troublesome."

"Nice to see you both as well." Naruto said comically. He activated the privacy seals before gesturing to the chairs in front of him. "Please…Have a seat."

The long standing couple gingerly sat down, still staring at their newest Hokage. Naruto briefly thought about toying with his two friends, but decided instead to be professional and get right to the point.

"So…" He said, placing his arms on the desk and leaning towards them. "You're probably wondering why I called the two of you here today."

Temari nodded hesitantly, but Shikamaru smirked and said, "I'm guessing that you want us to head back to Suna to let Gaara know that you finally made Hokage, and that they should prepare for a visit from you within the week so you can brag all about it."

Naruto laughed heartily. "As usual, you hit the nail on the head Shikamaru. However, this time you're only half right." He grinned broadly at his classmate. "I'd like to offer you a job."

"I already have a job, Naruto. I'm the Ambassador to Suna."

"I'm talking about a better job. One you can't refuse. One more suited to your talents."

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Like what?"

"Your official title will be Advisor to the Hokage, but in reality the job will be much more than that." Naruto gave a long sigh. "It's no secret that for years, politicians with tiny brains and massive egos have made decisions not necessarily in the best interests of the village, but rather based on greed and petty revenge."

His gaze hardened as he stared intently at Shikamaru. "That's not going to happen on my watch. As of now, I'm taking this village back and it's going to be about the people living here, not about those who are fortunate enough to have a seat on the council. You'll do whatever it takes to make sure that happens. In essence, you'll be running a spy network within the borders of Konoha, and you'll both answer and report only to me. If this works out and you do a good enough job, I'll be expanding your network to include the one outside of Konoha as well."

"To be honest Naruto, that sounds an awful lot like what Danzō used to do." Shikamaru said cautiously. "And I'm not interested in becoming a carbon copy of him."

"And neither am I, Shikamaru. You're not being given the authority to amass your own personal army in the shadows of Konoha. Quite a bit of the job you'll be undertaking will require you to make decisions on the fly, but there will still be checks and balances in place, because I'm not going to allow to you act with complete autonomy either. And besides the fact that you're the smartest person I know, another reason why I'm offering you this position is because I trust you not only with my life, but with the lives of every one of the villagers."

"This will be the greatest game of Shogi you will ever play. The pieces will be real, as will the results. You'll see firsthand the reality of your successes and failures, as well as the consequences of your actions, both good and bad. It's the ultimate test for your intelligence, no matter how you look at it."

"So…" Naruto said inquisitively. "Does the job intrigue you enough to want it?"

Temari was listening to the conversation with more than a little trepidation. What Naruto was proposing for Shikamaru was certainly one of the most important jobs a person could ever have, and she knew it played right up to the one thing her boyfriend wouldn't be consistently lazy about or find too troublesome to do.

But that also meant that he wouldn't be the Ambassador to Suna anymore. They might not see each other for weeks, maybe months on end. It wouldn't just put a strain on their relationship; it could possibly end it altogether.

She would never admit it publically, but she loved the lazy bum. She didn't want to lose him…but she also knew that turning down a request like this from the Hokage was practically impossible to do.

"Will I get my own office?" Shikamaru inquired.

Naruto gave him a lopsided grin and said, "I'm sure that can be arranged."

Shikamaru returned the grin and said, "Then I'm in."

"Glad to hear it." He lowered the privacy seals. "Tomorrow, you two will head to Suna and let Gaara know I'm coming for a visit. You'll start your new job once you get back." He reached into the pouch strapped to his leg and pulled out one of his three-pronged kunai. "Take this with you and leave it at their front gate. I'll use the Hirashin no Jutsu to transport myself there on Friday at nine o'clock in the morning."

He took out a piece of paper and scribbled a quick note on it. "In the meantime, why don't you two spend some quality time together, since it'll be your last night in the village for a while? Head over to that really nice spa on the east side of town…get a room, order food, schedule a massage…whatever you want." He folded up the paper and handed it to Temari. "It's on me. Give this to the front desk and they'll send my office the bill."

Temari accepted the note numbly. She thanked Naruto for his generosity, as did Shikamaru before the two of them got up and walked out of the office.

Kakashi watched them go, feeling very sympathetic to their plight. He turned to Naruto and said, "You realize of course, that you just sentenced a long standing relationship between two of your closest friends essentially to death."

"Sometimes sacrifices are necessary, Kakashi-sensei. But in this case I'd say you should have more faith in your student. And yes, I'm talking about me."

"Oh, really? Then I'm guessing you have some sort of a plan in mind?"

Naruto grinned diabolically. "Of course I do, Kakashi-sensei. I'm not the same oblivious teenager who left here all those years ago. There's a method to my madness, and believe it or not…the idea for this plan came from YOUR twisted little mind. You'll just have to wait until tomorrow to find out what it is."

* * *

Hiashi wearily opened the door to his office. He'd just finished a three-hour long meeting with the Hyūga council of elders, and as it had so many times recently, it left him feeling far more tired than it used to.

_Perhaps it's time to think about handing this job over to someone else and retiring, He thought to himself. It would be nice not to have to deal with idiots like that on a daily basis anymore._

As he sat down at his desk, he happened to notice that something had been inscribed on the top. Curious, he reached out to touch it…and once he did, it began to glow a bright blue. Hiashi immediately recognized the pattern as a storage seal, although slightly modified.

Half a second later three explosions went off, similar to small firecrackers. Hiashi instinctively closed his eyes and flinched, covering his face with his arms. After a moment of silence, he opened his eyes back up and looked down at himself.

With the exception of where he'd been covering his face, the upper portion of his body was now covered in bright yellow, green and pink paint. A scowl appeared on his face as he realized the mysterious naked prankster had struck once again.

However, just as he was about to scream for Kō another explosion went off. However, this one appeared to be red glitter in the shape of little hearts and flowers…and it stuck like glue to the paint.

.

.

Kō was sitting in one of the private gardens in the Hyūga estate, enjoying the peace and serenity of his surroundings. It was nice to come here every once in a while and take a break from…well, everything that went on in the compound. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, allowing the tranquil surroundings to…

_"AAAAUUUUGGGGHHHH! WHY THE HELL IS SHE STILL TORTURING ME LIKE THIS? AND HOW DOES SHE KEEP GETTING IN MY OFFICE? THIS STUFF WON'T COME OUT OF MY HAIR!"_

Kō smiled. Apparently, another prank had been left for Hiashi last night by the mysterious naked woman – which he still had a pretty good idea of who it really was – and this time, no one had spotted 'her'. Kō realized that 'she' was improving, and was impressed with 'her' progress. Hiashi being the prime target only made the pranks all the more enjoyable.

He inhaled deeply and let it out slowly, enjoying the sounds coming from his surroundings mixed with the discomfort of his clan head.

"I've probably said this a good dozen times already, but it bears repeating that this is still the **BEST…MONTH…EVER**."

* * *

A/N: So…I hope this cleared up some issues for people regarding why Sakura is acting like she is. And the baby isn't going to be neglected at all, so there should be no worries about that going forward. As to what's going to happen to Sakura? Well, like I said I'm going to make some tweaks based on input from MattWilson83 in the next few chapters but as to the destination of where she will end up, that's going to be the same.

And yeah, Kakashi is interested in Freyja. Like you guys didn't know that was going to happen. And his inner pervert was running wild thinking about those tattoos…the image will surely keep him up at night.

And now we know who's behind the Mienai Segi group of renegades. Yeah, I got more names to go through. Stick around to find out who's working with Gideon.

So what's coming next? Well, we find out what Naruto has planned for Shikamaru and Temari and believe me when I say the Nara clan member not only gets outsmarted, but also gets what's coming to him for dating Temari all this time and not proposing. There will be a couple of small plot advancements…Naruto talks to his classmates about Sakura…a piece inspired by MattWilson83's new story…and an update on the ANBU Naruto is sending to give the message to Saladin.

**_Recommendation time!_** This chapter I'm recommending something that takes a look at the dark side of things. If anyone knows of someone who's been in the military that came back from war, then you know that mentally it's never the same for them – there's a name for it called PTSD. The same holds true for people dealing with depression issues, but finding a story on FanFiction that tells this side of the human condition – while being interesting from a number of viewpoints – is rather hard to do. But I happened to find one.

The author has two great stories, but I'm only going to recommend one to my loyal NaruHina readers. The other is a NejiTen story that's great, and if you want to check it out you should. The author is writing both stories from both a cathartic and therapeutic standpoint, and she updates every Friday for the NejiTen story and every Saturday for her NaruHina story.

So please check out **Breaking Point by cherryxbutterfly**. It deals with Hinata blaming herself for what happened to Neji in the war (he died, of course) and a voice in her head that's torturing her relentlessly because of it (reminds me somewhat of what I'm doing with Sakura in mine). It's not a warm and sunny story, but I'm really caught up in how real she's making it turn out. There's some NaruHina fluff and our hero Naruto is trying to save her soul. And if you like it, add her to your favorites/following and leave a review. I know she'd appreciate the support, especially when I know she's got four new stories coming out.

Here's the link, as usual remove the spaces and you know what to replace the stars with:

www . fanfiction . *** / s / 9934175

**REVIEWS!** So, I'm THIS close to hitting one of my personal goals of 1,000 reviews for this story…I'm only twenty five away as of the release of this chapter. As I mentioned, I read and appreciate each and every one, and if you have a question or thought I always try to respond personally. I like to push these chapters out as fast as possible, but I can only do this with your continued support.

So take some time and leave me a review, because there's no better way to say 'thank you, I appreciate the time you take out of your life to write this interesting piece of work' like seeing those words of encouragement fill my email inbox. And as I mention every chapter, the more reviews you leave the faster the next chapter gets out.

That's all for now. Take care and stay safe.

Serious Sam


	22. Ch 21: Expect the Unexpected

21\. Expect the Unexpected

**_This chapter is going to be Legen... wait for it... dary! Legendary!_**

Hello, my faithful readers and welcome to Chapter 21. What can I say about this except for BIGGEST CHAPTER EVER! I obsessed over this for a couple of weeks, and even though it's longer than any other one I've ever done I had to make sure I waited to release it because of the last part. You'll know what I'm talking about when you read it, and I expect a shitload of reviews for this chapter because of it.

As always, I'd like to give the standard thanks and shout-outs to various people for helping me with my story - there's a bunch of them this time! As I mention every chapter, reader interaction is very important to me and although this is MY story, great ideas can come from anywhere.

Thank you to fellow author **Titokhan** for helping me out, as well as my anonymous beta for his continued efforts and support. You guys help make my job so much easier, and it's appreciated.

**Raja-Ulat:** Came up with many ideas regarding Sakura and her supposed claim to the monopoly on Sasuke. Thank you so much!

**devilzxknight86:** Your idea about Jace inspired me to create a new character for the Mienai Segi based off of that. It also fits in with how I adjusted the story based on suggestions from MattWilson83. As a bit of foreshadowing, the character will be female and her name will by Nyx. I'll let your imagination fill in the blanks, but thank you so much for the suggestion!

**firetemplar415:** There's a Might Guy part in here based off of one of your suggestions. I hope you like it.

**Lord Farsight:** I will be putting in a piece later in the story based on your idea regarding the Mienai Segi and the Akatsuki. Thank you!

**Hektols:** I put something in to explain why the Mienai Segi think Gideon is the second strongest. Hopefully you think it's plausible. And there's a part in there to address your Sakura/Hokage comment. Your suggestions always rock!

**Arcana37210/Kingkakashi:** A lot of the tweaking and foresight for the Shikamaru/Temari part was done with the both of you in mind. I know it won't be perfect, but I hope you appreciate what I tried to do.

**MattWilson83:** This is going to be a big one. Quite a bit of this chapter was tweaked, written or re-written based off of suggestions, ideas and banter back and forth between me and him. I won't get into specifics because it'll give away what you're going to read, but suffice to say that most of what I wrote through the first half of the story is because of him. I hope this chapter meets with his high expectations.

I can't thank him enough for his help, as well as giving me a shout-out on his DeviantArt page, which to me is kind of like winning the lottery. According to him, I've actually helped inspire him to start writing FanFiction again and he's got a new story called **Shadows.** If you haven't read it - or his graphic novel **NaruHina Chronicles on DeviantArt** \- you need to check them out. It's phenomenal stuff.

And for all you DeviantArt artists, there will be a small note at the end for you. So stick around.

This chapter is dedicated to the following authors who have made mention of my story in their own recently. Of course, I've recommended them all before but it goes without saying that you have no idea what you're missing if you don't check them out!

**weirdismyname - Beyond and Heiress' Purpose:** Just got updated. A phenomenal story with tons of NaruHina goodness.

**Softwinds - The Ring That Binds:** I can't stress enough how much I love this story. The latest chapter just released was probably one of the most heartfelt, emotional and loving things I've ever read on FanFiction. It was beyond awesome, and I get choked up every time I read it, which is a lot.

**gigiree123 - A Reluctant Return:** I'm going to preface this by saying that I am now the beta for this story and helped out a TINY bit with the latest chapter, but that should only serve to get more people over to read this excellent piece of work. The latest chapter is extremely powerful and superbly written. Read it! Read it! Read it!

**cherryxbutterfly - Breaking Point:** I recommended this story last chapter and it's coming to a close soon, so read it before it's all done! For anyone interested, she has a NejiTen story on her new profile, **MsTenshiLady.** First chapter just came out.

And last, but not least I would like to thank **YungHime** for writing such a superb penultimate chapter for her story **By Your Side**. It tugged at my emotional heartstrings more than once. Kudos to you for such exceptional work.

So here's this chapter's disclaimer. Not a movie, I just thought I would go with a bit of humor this time. Hope it makes you laugh.

**_Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto. And could you please tell me who you are and what you do?_**

**_Achmed – Good evening…infidel. My name is Achmed. I am a terrorist._**

**_Disclaimer – What kind of terrorist?_**

**_Achmed – A terrifying…terrorist. Are you scared?_**

**_Disclaimer – Not really, no._**

**_Achmed – SILENCE! I KEEL YOU! (+1 if you get the reference)._**

* * *

Chapter 21 – Expect the Unexpected

When Naruto came into the office the next day, he told Kakashi to come back after one o'clock since most of what he was going to be doing that morning consisted of relatively minor decisions that he could handle on his own. If a major issue came up he'd send someone to get him, but otherwise he was free to leave until then.

The imprint his backside left in the couch didn't have time to disappear before Kakashi was out the door.

Naruto chuckled at his former sensei, before opening his top right drawer and pressing a button. Almost instantly, an ANBU wearing a Tiger mask appeared in front of him.

"How may I be of assistance, Hokage-sama?"

Naruto handed him a piece of paper. "I need you to bring everyone on this list to my office as soon as possible please. Also, I want to be informed as soon as Shikamaru Nara and Temari Sabaku leave the village for Suna."

Tiger nodded and then disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

Naruto sighed. In a sense he was dreading the meeting that was coming, but now that he was Hokage he needed to act like it. He just hoped that at the end of what he was about to do, his friends would be understanding about his position in all of this.

.

.

From behind his desk, Naruto watched as his friends filed into his office. Ino and Choji had arrived first, followed closely by Shino. Kiba and Mina arrived next, with Akamaru in tow. Lee walked in right after that, proclaiming to everyone how his flames of youth were burning brightly today before Arekusu silenced him with an elbow to his ribs.

Neji and Tenten were the last to walk through the door, but Naruto noticed something different about the couple. Neji was being a bit more attentive to his wife, and Tenten was walking a bit gingerly, favoring her left side as well as seeming a bit pale. However, despite all of that she seemed to have a healthy glow about her which could only mean one thing.

"Congratulations, you guys." Naruto said heartily. "Looks like Neji started making good on his request at the wedding. I'm guessing Tenten is about two months along. When's your due date?"

Neji and Tenten froze at the statement, wondering how Naruto could have found out so quickly. They had only told a select few people, and those that knew were told to keep the information very low key, and not tell anyone else.

"Naruto, how…how did you know I was pregnant?" Tenten asked hesitantly.

"Well, besides the fact that Neji is showing a bit more attention to you in public than usual, your face gets this twinge whenever you walk on your left leg. That tells me you're experiencing some lower back pain, and then there's the fact that you're a bit more pale than usual, which means you are more than likely feeling a bit nauseated." Naruto shrugged nonchalantly. "My guess, when combined with all the other changes I noticed, would probably be morning sickness. Although, I hope everyone in this room knows about it. I'd hate to think I just blurted out something so personal, like I did with Gaara and Matsuri at the wedding."

Neji sighed in resignation. "Yes Naruto, everyone in the room knows about it, thank Kami. And the baby is due about a week or so after my birthday. But just like everyone else, we would ask that you keep the knowledge to yourself. The two of us have very important reasons for keeping it confidential."

Naruto was suddenly curious as to what Neji was talking about. _Better to have that discussion another time,_ he thought, _and not when everyone else is here._ Nodding in agreement, he then turned to look at the rest of the group.

"I'm betting that everyone would like to know why I've summoned you here."

"We figured that you just wanted to rub it in our faces about how you finally made Hokage. You've only been bragging about it since you were eight." Ino said with a smug grin on her face.

Naruto smirked at her. "Actually Ino, that wasn't my reason at all. But if you'd like, I can do that after this meeting so that you can tell everyone you weren't wrong."

Everyone laughed at his comment, with the exception of Ino who glared daggers at the newest Hokage.

"No, the reason I brought you all here is because yesterday I got an unexpected visit from Lady Tsunade. Apparently, there's been quite a bit going on between everyone here and a certain pink-haired kunoichi since I left on my mission…"

**_***Flashback – Late Yesterday Afternoon***_**

It was five o'clock, and Naruto was ready to go home for the day. With Kakashi hanging around to help with some of the larger decisions, along with his ability to make as many shadow clones as he needed, he'd carved through the mountains of paperwork that had been waiting for him on his first day in office.

He'd been just about ready leave – just like that morning, he could have used the Hiraishin no Jutsu to get home – but once again, he felt some face time with the villagers would be in his best interest. It might take him longer, but it would be worth it in the long run.

And then there was a knock on his door and he bade whoever it was to enter. Needless to say, he was surprised when it opened and he saw Tsunade standing there, since he wasn't expecting to see her today.

"Hey," Tsunade said gingerly. "I was wondering…umm, if you could talk. To me. For a little while."

Naruto sat frozen in place as he considered her request. The last time they'd spoken, it hadn't gone very well and he'd left her office, angry and bitter over what she'd done. Hopefully, the reason she was here was because she finally realized how much pain and suffering her actions had caused, and she felt some remorse over it.

Besides, now that he was Hokage he couldn't just throw a hissy fit and refuse to talk with someone. It was his job to be available to anyone who needed him, no matter what the circumstances.

"Sure. Come in." He said, in a very businesslike manner.

Tsunade noticed the lack of warmth in his voice and cringed inwardly. She knew she deserved that, and so much more. She closed the door and sat down in front of him, her hands fidgeting nervously.

"So. What brings you here today?" He asked bluntly.

Tsunade tensed. Considering the subject of their last conversation, she needed to be very careful with her next set of words, so that Naruto wouldn't get the wrong impression of the reasons why she was here.

"I'm…I'm not sure if you know, but yesterday Kakashi visited Sasuke and Sakura in the hospital. Apparently, there were some questions he didn't have the chance to ask Sasuke before he had to leave unexpectedly, and he wanted to see the baby as well."

"Sasuke was fine…more than fine, actually. He was practically doting over their brand new daughter, but Kakashi noticed immediately that something was off with Sakura. She seemed very listless and distant, far more so than what's normal for someone who just gave birth a few hours earlier. He said it was almost like she was numb to her surroundings."

Other than raising one eyebrow, Naruto showed no outward expression at the news. "That's extremely out of character, especially for someone like Sakura. She's always been pretty… expressive with her opinions and emotions, and I'd think that she'd be shouting from the rooftops about the fact that she finally has the baby she always wanted. Why the sudden change in personality?"

Tsunade relaxed a bit. The conversation was going better than she'd thought; although she did find it a bit unnerving that Naruto hadn't shown any emotion at the mentioning of Sakura's name.

"Kakashi was concerned for those exact same reasons, so he came to me afterwards and asked me to have a private talk with Sakura, while Sasuke was meeting with you earlier today. He wanted me to subtly play the role of a psychologist hoping that I could find out what was wrong, and then report that information back to you. Besides, I haven't seen her since you left the village, and he felt it might be… therapeutic for us to chat for a bit."

"You didn't see her once during the entire time I was gone?" Naruto asked curiously. "What have you been doing for the last two months?"

She inhaled deeply before letting out a shaky breath. "Well, the day after our…meeting, I started drinking. Probably far more than I ever have. Most of the first month was lost to memory blackouts; I can only remember bits and pieces of it. Your wife found me at that point and…well, pretty much threatened me into sobering up. I haven't had a drink since then, and I've been avoiding Sakura at all costs because she was pregnant and I basically have anger issues."

Even though his face remained stoic, inwardly Naruto was shocked. He wondered what Hinata had threatened her with that caused Tsunade to swear off alcohol. Whatever it was, it must have been truly frightening.

"So you went to see Sakura this morning at Kakashi-sensei's request, and talked with her. What did you find out?"

"She's suffering from a severe state of depression, Naruto." Tsunade said, the concern evident in her voice. "I'm not sure you're aware of this – seeing as you've only been back for a day – but while you and Sasuke were gone, the rest of your friends had a meeting and decided to tell everyone in the village about what Sakura did. They wanted her to feel some measure of what Hinata had to deal with for the past eight years."

"She's basically been treated like an outcast since then. Neji even went out of his way to involve the other clans, convincing them to influence the local businesses to either inflate their prices, or refuse to sell her anything. As soon as Temari told Gaara about how Sakura was planning to give Hikaru up to an orphanage in Suna, he immediately banned her from their village."

"But even with all the effort your classmates put forth to make her suffer, she still feels there's someone else who shoulders more blame for everything that's happened to her than all your friends combined." Tsunade pointed a finger. "And that person is you."

Finally showing some emotion, Naruto glared at Tsunade and asked, "Me? How the hell am I to blame for any of this?"

"Her thought process is extremely twisted Naruto, but it's because things have always revolved around you – from her vantage point at least. Her dream – or plan, depending on how you look at it – has always been to marry Sasuke and help him restore the clan. She wanted to be the center of his world; the focus of his attention. She wanted to be the reason for positive change in his life, and despite her best efforts she never made that happen. Yet in the short time you've been back in the village, you've inspired Sasuke to become far more than what he was, albeit unintentionally. He now considers you to be family as much as her… and she doesn't like any of it."

Naruto could honestly say that he wasn't surprised in the least about what Tsunade had just told him. Sakura had always been one to place blame on others rather than herself, and once again it appeared he was a convenient scapegoat for her troubles. He briefly wondered if things would ever change, or if it would always be this way between them.

He frowned as he glanced at Tsunade out of the corner of his eye. He wondered where all this was leading; and a pit formed in his stomach as he guessed what the answer might be. However, now that he was Hokage he couldn't assume anything. He needed to hear the reasons why before rendering a decision.

"That's a pretty detailed explanation Tsunade, and it's probably a lot more than what Kakashi-sensei wanted you to give me. I'm sure that wasn't by accident, which makes me wonder what the reason behind it all is. Care to say what you expect from me out of all this?"

**_***End Flashback***_**

"She asked you to do what?"

It was Neji who spoke. Despite the monotone of his voice, those who knew him could tell he wasn't very happy with what he just heard, and the look he gave Naruto was cold and calculating.

As Naruto looked around the room, he noticed that this sentiment was shared by Ino, Kiba and Shino. The rest were either shocked or stunned speechless.

"Like I just said…She asked me to speak with everyone here, in order to get you to lay off Sakura, and stop making her life miserable. And I happen to agree with her reasoning."

"There's no way. There's no _possible_ way you could be asking that of us." Ino said incredulously. "Are you out of your **fucking** mind, Naruto? You want us to just lay off Sakura, after everything she did?"

"I have to agree with my friends on this." Lee added, nodding towards Ino. "The way Sakura treated you was most unyouthful."

"Unyouthful? How about malicious? Or vindictive? Because no matter what way you look at it, it fucking sucked!" Ino practically shouted. "And what about Hinata? Are you even considering her feelings in all this? You weren't around all those years when she was being treated like shit by the villagers and her clan, and it could have been stopped at any time if Sakura had just opened her big fucking mouth and said something. You have **no** idea what she went through, or the pain she had to endure…"

Naruto slammed his hands down on the desk, cutting off Ino and her rant. The aura of power he was giving off was palpable, causing the temperature in the room to drop several degrees. A shiver went down their backs as they stared wide eyed at their friend and classmate, who stood up slowly while glaring balefully at Ino with eyes that had turned the darkest cobalt blue.

"I think you're forgetting exactly who you're talking to, **_Yamanaka_**." Naruto growled menacingly. "And your accusation about me having no idea of the pain my wife had to endure is **WAY** off base." He raised his right hand and pushed some chakra into it, making the seal visible. "Do you know what this is?"

Ino nodded nervously, feeling cowed after her initial outburst of anger. "Y-Yes. Hinata has one just like it. She called it an amalgamation seal."

"Do you know what it does?"

"She…She said it allows the two of you to feel each other's emotions." Ino responded timidly.

"That's right." He pointed his finger and swept it across the room. "I'm connected to Hinata in a way that none of you will ever know or understand. During the first four months of our marriage, I was the one who held Hinata as she broke down and cried over what she had to endure. I felt those emotions like they were my own. When she hurt, I hurt. Her pain was my pain."

"Not a day goes by where I don't feel some level of guilt for ignoring her feelings towards me when we were young. I blame myself more than you can possibly imagine for not being there during the last eight years when she needed me most, despite the fact that it wasn't my fault, and had no idea what was going on."

"So think whatever you want about me." Naruto spat, baring his teeth at the group. "But don't ever question the loyalty or concern I have for the most precious person in my life. Do I make myself clear?"

Everyone in the room nodded vigorously, afraid to utter a word.

Naruto sat back down, lowering the amount of chakra pressure he was emitting into the room until it was gone. Everyone there relaxed a bit, as the oppressive feeling eased and the cold feeling that permeated the room vanished.

From that little display, they were all reminded that even though he was their friend, there was a reason why Naruto was now the Hokage.

"Now to answer your question, there's a very good reason why I'm asking everyone here to stop making Sakura's life miserable. Lady Tsunade informed me that because of your – let's just say, group efforts – since I've been gone, Sakura has gone into a state of severe depression, and her value to Konoha as a jōnin kunoichi is being questioned. As Hokage I have to use every resource available to me and like it or not, Sakura is an excellent fighter, as well as one of the best medics the village has to offer. I won't let an asset like that go to waste, simply because everyone here holds a grudge against her."

There was a pregnant pause as everyone thought about what Naruto had just said. While it made sense from a strategic point of view, none of them found it to be morally acceptable in any way.

"I get what you're saying Naruto, but I'm still having a hard time with this." Kiba said guardedly, echoing what everyone was thinking. "I mean, you're basically asking us to forgive and forget what Sakura did to you and Hinata, and I don't think I'm ready to do that."

"Oh don't get me wrong, Kiba. Nobody will ever forget what she did, and I'm not asking anyone in this room to spoon-feed forgiveness to her either. And she's got a long way to go before she earns any sort of redemption from me. All I'm asking is that you stop making things worse for her, before things go past the point of no return."

He turned to the only person in the room best qualified to answer his next question. "Tenten, you're the closest thing we have right now to a mother in this room, so let me ask you something. What if by your actions, you caused Sakura to have a complete mental breakdown? One so bad, that we were forced to remove her brand new daughter, perhaps permanently. How would that make you feel? Would you want to be even partially responsible for that?"

The look on Tenten's face became slightly apprehensive. She lowered her gaze, as her hands came up to stroke her belly. When her eyes came up, they were slightly moist as she shook her head. "No, Naruto. Despite what she did, I wouldn't want something like that to happen to Sakura."

Naruto turned his gaze back to the rest of the group. "Like I said…I'm not telling anyone here to forgive or forget what Sakura did; all I'm asking is that you stop making things worse for her." His expression became stern. "But as Hokage, I AM going to order you to tell every business your clans have influence over to start dealing with Sakura once again. And no raising prices just for her, either. I dealt with enough of that type of discrimination when I was younger, and it's not happening while I'm in charge. Does everyone understand?"

They all nodded, even though they weren't happy with the content of the conversation. But they also realized that considering the history between him and Sakura, their friend had been placed in a very difficult spot, since he was now the Hokage and had to look at both sides of the issue.

"Okay, then. You're all free to go. However, I'd like Mina to remain behind. Kiba, you and Akamaru are more than welcome to stay and listen in on the conversation if you like."

The rest of the group filed out of the office, closing the door behind them. Kiba and Mina continued to stare at Naruto with slight trepidation, wondering why the Hokage needed to see her, of all people.

Naruto looked at them both, and a lopsided grin broke out on his face. He reached into one of his drawers and pulled out a file, holding it up for everyone to see.

"As you know, this village maintains a record of every ninja and kunoichi, regardless of their status. This one happens to belong to Mina." He set the file down on his desk and began to read. "Mina Mikon. Kunoichi of the leaf village. Moderately skilled in taijutsu, with a slight fire affinity. Ability to perform a specific jutsu that disconnects emotion. When utilized, strength and stamina are increased, and pain receptors within the body are shut down. This allows the user to become a completely focused fighter. Currently ranked as chūnin, but the data listed here suggests that promotion to full jōnin probably won't be possible within those parameters, even taking your specialized jutsu into account."

"However…" Naruto continued. "…it also says here that you excel in the field of medical justu. On six of the missions you were assigned to, you performed data analysis and research outside of the normal parameters which minimized injuries to your squad, while saving the life of one of your fellow chūnin on two separate occasions. The jōnin in charge praised your abilities, and noted that your true strength and passion reside within these two areas, as the results of both were exceptional."

He closed the file and raised his eyes to stare at Mina. "Your skills as a kunoichi are notable, but it's your other qualifications that I'm specifically looking for. Having said that, would you be interested in a job as my personal assistant?"

Kiba and Mina blinked in confusion, looking at each other quickly before turning back to Naruto.

"Assistant?" Mina said tentatively. "You…You want me to be your personal assistant?"

"That would be your official title, but you'll be doing more than simply managing my schedule and keeping random people from barging into my office whenever they feel like it. I want a skilled medic close by, just in case something happens. But in all honesty, it's your ability to perform research that I need the most."

"I've pretty much had it thrown in my face that when it comes to Konoha law, I'm not even close to being an expert. Like I told Shikamaru yesterday, going forward I want to make sure that things are done for the benefit of the villagers, and not to increase the power or line the pockets of greedy council members. There are other things I have in mind, but those aren't important right now. However, in order to make this happen I need someone on my staff that understands Konoha law down to the smallest detail, and can exploit legal loopholes if needed."

"As an extra incentive, I'll be giving you a raise in pay. And since you won't be sent out on dangerous missions anymore, it opens up quite a few…opportunities in your life. I'm sure Kiba knows what I'm talking about." Naruto said, looking pointedly at his friend.

Mina wrinkled her forehead in confusion and glanced at Kiba, who was staring at Naruto impassively. He might not be the smartest guy around, but in this case he knew exactly what his friend was referring to, even though Mina apparently didn't.

"I'm…I'm flattered Hokage-sama, but surely there are better candidates than me." Mina said.

Naruto shook his head. "None that I can trust with something as important as this."

"But how can you trust me? I mean, no offense but we don't really know each other that well."

"You're right. But I know him," Naruto said, motioning his head towards Kiba. "and if he vouches for you, that's good enough for me."

"But you already have an assistant. We passed her on the way in."

Naruto snorted. "Her? She's a holdover from Hiruzen's time in office. Kakashi only brought her back because he wasn't planning on spending very much time as Hokage before I took over. She was never very nice to me and frankly, she should still be in retirement." He got up from his seat, grinning impishly. "But if that's the last excuse you have, we can fix that problem right now."

Kiba and Mina watched as Naruto walked over and opened the door to his office, sticking his head out into the hallway.

"Hey! Old hag!" He yelled.

"What?" A crotchety voice answered back.

"You're retired again! As of now!"

"Good! I didn't want to work for you anyway, brat!"

Naruto closed the door and walked back over to sit down at his desk. "And just like that, we have an opening. So how about it? Will you take the job?"

Mina was silent for a moment, as she thought about the offer. However, she was broken out of her musing when she felt something touch her arm. Looking up, she saw Kiba staring intently at her and he nodded, wordlessly giving her his thoughts about the matter.

"Then…Then I accept the job Hokage-sama," She said, bowing her head slightly. "and thank you. Not only for placing your trust in me, but for giving me the opportunity to do something that I love."

"You're welcome, Mina." He scribbled a quick note and handed it to her. "Now, before you sit outside my office I want you to go over to the archives and find anything you can about this particular subject. I'm going to make a proposal at the next council meeting, and I want to be ready for anything they might throw at me."

She opened the note and her eyes grew wide for a second, before she folded it back up and nodded. "Understood, Hokage-sama. This shouldn't take very long; I can be back within an hour."

"That's fine. I'm heading over to the hospital to see Sasuke and Sakura; you two can stay here and talk if you like. When you leave, please make sure you close the door behind you." And with that, he vanished in a flash of yellow light.

* * *

Naruto appeared at the front door of the hospital, and proceeded to walk through the hallways on his way to the private wing of the maternity ward, where Sakura no doubt had a room and Sasuke would be waiting.

Now that part two of his master plan was in place – that being his hiring of Mina to perform in-depth research into Konoha law – he decided to make good on his promise yesterday to talk with his brother about the idea he was going to present to the council. And while he was there, he figured he'd kill two birds with one stone and tell Sakura about the conversation he'd just had with their classmates. And just maybe his gesture would allow Sakura to start making amends for what she'd done.

Naruto scoffed at the thought. He wasn't going to be overly optimistic where Sakura was concerned. And it also brought to mind the second half of the conversation he'd had with Tsunade…

**_***Flashback – Later Yesterday Afternoon***_**

"I appreciate you bringing this to my attention, and I promise I'll speak to everyone tomorrow. Now, it's been a long day and before you walked in, I was heading home to see my family. Is there something else you needed, or…?" Naruto asked, trailing off at the end. Tsunade was just sitting there, and he could tell by the expression on her face that she wasn't finished talking to him yet.

Naruto watched as she looked down at her hands, which were folded neatly in her lap as she chewed her bottom lip in what he thought was a very Hinata-like manner. After a moment, she stood up and walked around the desk, before kneeling down in front of him and reaching out to take his hands in her own.

As she raised her eyes to stare at him, Naruto saw that they were completely filled with tears. She blinked once, and they began to roll down her face, while her lower lip trembled. She'd thought about this for weeks, wondering what she would do once the moment came, but now that it was finally here, Tsunade felt afraid. She took a deep breath, steeling herself to go through with what she'd promised Hinata over a month ago.

"I'm sorry, Naruto."

The guilt and regret in her voice was so palpable that Naruto actually felt it himself, and it took a fair amount of effort for him not to flinch from it.

"I am so…so sorry. For everything I've done. Because she was my disciple, I…I treated Sakura more like a friend than anything else. With her, I lost sight of the fact that I was the Hokage, and I…I gave in to whatever she wanted. You're the most important person in my life, and I…I should have done something…ANYTHING…to stop her. Or find out what she did to make you leave the village like that. It's my fault that you suffered all those years. It's my fault that you tried to kill yourself. I'm…I'm to blame for it all, because I let it all happen, and I'm sorry Naruto…I'm so sorry…" She finished, as she buried her head in his lap and cried in uncontrollable sorrow.

Her sobbing wrenched at his heart, but Naruto refused to break – mainly because she was right. He wasn't trying to be cruel or malicious, but the fact remained that the two people most responsible for what he'd gone through the last several years were Sakura, because of what she did and Tsunade, because of what she didn't do.

Despite all of that, he wasn't a cold hearted monster either. Other than with Hinata, he'd always felt uncomfortable dealing with situations like this and unlike Sakura, at least Tsunade was trying to make an effort.

He reached out to awkwardly pat her on the back, trying to offer some level of comfort. "Tsunade, please stop crying. I…I can honestly tell you're sorry, and I accept your apology. But you need to stop this."

She raised her head to stare at him; her eyes already red and swollen even though she'd only been crying a couple of minutes. Her cheeks were stained with tears, and she sniffed a few times before asking, "What…What can I do to make this up to you, Naruto? I'll do anything you ask. Please…Please just tell me…"

Unfortunately, Naruto already knew the answer to that question. "To be honest, there's really nothing you can do for me Tsunade. The past can't be changed, and I don't think I'll ever forget everything I've gone through because of it. The only things I've ever wanted were a family who loves me, and finally becoming Hokage. Now that I have both, I really don't need anything else."

Tsunade's world shattered at hearing those words. He'd basically just said that forgiveness was beyond her grasp.

Naruto saw the crestfallen look on her face and said, "But doesn't mean there isn't any hope. While there's nothing you can do specifically for me, there are two things I can think of that would be a good start. First of all, I want you to keep an eye on Sakura and make sure her depression doesn't get any worse. You can do it under the guise of being her daughter's pediatrician. If anything major happens, you'll let me know immediately and I'm not returning her to active duty until you give me the all clear. And second, I'd like you to start medic-nin training with Hinata for a few hours a day. That'll help in getting me to forgive you."

Her face brightened a bit, and she sniffed again before wiping the tears from her cheeks. "I…I understand Naruto, and I'll do whatever it takes to make this up to you. And I realize it's a bit early to ask, but…but when will I know you've forgiven me?"

"When I start calling you Baa-chan again…" Naruto said, giving Tsunade a slight but warm smile, "…that's when you'll know."

**_***End Flashback***_**

He turned the corner and found the door to Sakura's room open. As he looked in, he noticed that Sakura was sitting up, holding her daughter while Sasuke relaxed in a chair next to the bed. Naruto could tell he hadn't slept very much in the last twenty-four hours.

_Such is the life of a brand-new parent. He thought to himself. Better not mock him about it. I'll probably be in his shoes before too long._

He knocked on the door frame to catch their attention and walked in. Unsurprisingly, the expression on Sakura's face didn't change but Sasuke gave him a small, but tired smile.

"Hey, dobe. How's your first day on the job been?"

Naruto shrugged noncommittally. "Eh, you know. Hired some people. Fired some people. Had to deal with quite a few idiot civilians that came to me with stupid, minor requests. Thought about making ramen the official food of Konoha. Thank Kami for shadow clones, though. They make dealing with the mountains of paperwork somewhat bearable."

The corners of Sasuke's mouth twitched slightly. "Right. I think you have an advantage over the other Kage in that regard. So, are you here for the obvious?"

"Among other things, but yeah…I wanted to stop by and see the newest member of Team Uchiha." He walked over to the side of the bed and nodded in the direction of the baby. "Could you show her to me, Sakura?"

She stared blankly at him and blinked a few times, before reaching up to peel back the blanket. The baby was sleeping so he didn't get to see her eyes, but the head of pink hair was a bit of a surprise.

"She looks just like you. What did you name her?" Naruto asked inquisitively.

"I didn't. Sasuke-kun named her Mikomi." Sakura said flatly.

He raised one eyebrow and looked at Sasuke. "Her name means hope. I'm assuming you did that on purpose, and it wasn't just something you picked at random."

"Yes, I did. She's going to be a constant reminder of the hope I have for the future. It seemed…wrong somehow to name her anything else." Sasuke furrowed his brow. "But you just said you came here for other things as well. Would this be about that idea you needed to discuss regarding the council?"

Naruto nodded. "That's one of them, yes. At the council meeting next Wednesday, I want to try and give part of the Uchiha clan compound back to you, along with a good portion of the clan funds. I know everything was reclaimed by the village when you – umm, left all those years ago – but I think it's past time at least some of it was returned to you. I've already got someone combing through Konoha law to find any loophole I can to make it happen. All I need is for you to make the initial proposal, and I'll take care of the rest."

His eyes grew a bit wider, as Sasuke stared at Naruto in disbelief. "I…I don't think that's possible. Kakashi-sensei and Lady Tsunade tried on several occasions to get the lands and funds released, but the civilian council voted unanimously against it every time. You know they're going to bring up my history. Are you sure you want to try something as ill-fated as this?"

"Yes." Naruto didn't even hesitate to answer, and his voice was resolute. "As far as I'm concerned, you've proven your worth to the village. I just have to find a way around the civilian council's greed, that's all." He motioned his head in the direction of the baby. "And now that Mikomi is here, I know she'll stack the deck in your favor."

"Besides, what kind of Hokage would I be if I let my brother raise his clan in a small apartment?" He asked, smiling warmly.

Sasuke hesitated for a moment before giving Naruto a lopsided smile in return. "Well if you can pull off a boast like that, then I'm going to have to make you Mikomi's godfather as a way of saying thanks…Naruto."

"And I just might take you up on that offer…Sasuke."

They were so engrossed in talking with each other that they failed to notice the slight eye twitch Sakura developed for a brief second, but it was gone by the time Naruto turned to look at her.

"Now as to the other reason why I'm here, it concerns you, Sakura." Naruto stated. He decided to keep this next part a bit vague, since he didn't need Sakura knowing that Tsunade was his source. "During one of my debriefing sessions yesterday, I was told about what's been going on while Sasuke and I were out of the village. And I want you to know that as of now, that's going to stop."

Her expression hardened. "What exactly are you talking about, Naruto?"

He groaned inwardly. Trust Sakura to ask for a detailed explanation, but he wasn't going to give her one. "Don't play coy with me, Sakura. You know **exactly** what I'm talking about when I say 'what's been going on while we've been out of the village'. But as to the rest, I had a meeting this morning in my office with the rest of our classmates. I basically ordered them to stop making things worse with the villagers, and you won't be excluded from any businesses in Konoha going forward. I've also made sure that those businesses don't inflate their prices just for you anymore, either."

She paused, and then narrowed her eyes at him. "Why would you go out of your way to do something like that for me?"

_Gee, Sakura. You're welcome._ "I have my reasons as Hokage, Sakura. Let's just leave it at that." He said solemnly. As expected, she wasn't making this easy on him, and now he kind of understood why Tsunade drank so much while she was in office. Sometimes being Hokage was a thankless job.

He turned back to Sasuke. "Sorry about this, but I have to go – first week in office and there's too many things to do. Try and get some rest, and I'll talk with you early next week about the proposal for the council. And once again, congratulations to you both." Then he vanished in a flash of yellow light.

The room was silent for a moment before Sasuke said, "Well, I certainly wasn't expecting something like that from the dobe. And I'm still doubtful he's going to get the council to agree to anything, but knowing his luck he just might make it happen."

_And now we have something else that's happened because of Naruto. Inner Sakura said sarcastically. Sasuke-kun should have asked our opinion before he offered to make him Mikomi's godfather, but if we say something now it'll only make us sound bitter and ungrateful. Of course, that's only if he pulls off that stunt he's planning with the council, but you and I both know he'll definitely make that happen._

"You're absolutely right." Sakura said, responding to both statements. "Knowing Naruto, he'll definitely make it happen."

* * *

Naruto reappeared back in his office. He'd barely been gone half an hour, and Kiba and Mina had both left at some point. He walked over to his chair and sat down, wondering if he'd have time to relax before the next major event happened.

The door burst open and Freyja barged in. "Okay Gabriel," She said gruffly. "we need to talk."

_Thirty seconds. That had to be some kind of record._

"Good morning, Freyja. Here to finish the conversation we started yesterday?"

**_***Flashback – Previous Night***_**

"Care to say that again, Gabriel?" Freyja asked incredulously. "I think I had something crazy in my ear."

"Then I'll repeat myself, Freyja. I said that if I'm going to offer you and Reira sanctuary, I want you to register as a kunoichi of Konoha. If this village is going to protect the lives of you and your daughter, you're going to do the same for them. It's as simple as that."

"Other than that, give me one good reason why I should tie myself down to this village." Freyja growled defensively. "You're strong – stronger than me – but what assurances do I have that you can protect me from someone who ranks higher than you in the Mienai Segi?"

Naruto sighed. He should have known Freyja was going to be a major pain in the ass about this. "I tell you what, Freyja - I'll make you a deal. If you decide to become a kunoichi of this village, then I'll tell you the reason why people used to call me a monster. And it's the same reason why I can protect you and Reira. I think that's fair. Don't you?"

**_***End Flashback***_**

Freyja glared at her fellow Mienai Segi member. "Quit acting so conceited, Gabriel. You know that's the reason I'm here, but before I answer I want to know why you're even asking. You know the code of honor I live by. We don't even need to have a discussion about this. You could just order me to do it, but you're not doing that. So the question is, why?"

"Because if I did, then the gesture would be meaningless." Naruto said, as if stating the obvious. "As Hokage, I can order quite a few people to do any number of things, but I won't force someone into servitude. This is a decision you need to make all on your own."

Freyja narrowed her eyes at him. For most of her life, no one had ever wanted or needed her opinion, which is why she'd developed a very abrupt and rough personality. Why should she care if nobody else did? But now someone who she'd begrudgingly given a great amount of respect to was asking HER to make a major decision – one that would affect both her and Reira's lives going forward.

Naruto watched her for about fifteen seconds; her eyes darting about as she mused over his request. He knew she was struggling with it, so he decided to remain quiet and give her time to think things through. Wordlessly, he summoned three shadow clones and went back to work on some of the paperwork on his desk.

Surprisingly enough, it took almost fifteen minutes before Freyja said something.

"Fine, Gabriel." She said brusquely. "I'll become a kunoichi of this village. Reira deserves a safe, stable place to grow up in. But you're going to be the one who's telling Saladin my Mienai Segi days are done. Got it?"

"Got it. And since you were so nice in agreeing to my terms, I'll keep my end of the deal." Naruto said, grinning mischievously as he leaned back in his chair and propped his feet up on the desk. "Do you know what a jinchuuriki is?"

Freyja paused for a moment before raising one eyebrow. "They're basically people who are used as containers for demons, right?"

"Right. Now, are you familiar with the tailed beasts?"

"Uh, yeah. Saladin told me about them once. There's supposed to be nine of them, each with a different number of tails. That guy Madara Uchiha captured them all during the fourth shinobi war in order to create the Juubi. Word has it that they were all killed at the end."

Naruto raised a finger. "That information is only partially true. There **are** nine tailed beasts, and at one point Madara Uchiha **did** capture them all to create the ten tails. But what most people don't know is that you can't kill a tailed beast. Even if you take out the host, it'll just reform after a period of time. And there were two jinchuuriki that actually survived the war. The Raikage's brother, Killer B holds the eight tails. And the nine tails…" He pointed a finger at himself. "…is held by yours truly."

His words stunned Freyja, as she stared at him in disbelief. After a few seconds, she narrowed her eyes and said, "Bullshit."

He shook his head. "Nope. No bullshit. I'm the real deal. And I'll prove it right now." Naruto then reached inside himself and tapped into Kurama's chakra. Immediately, his appearance changed and he was cloaked in golden flames, with various symbols from the sage of the six paths covering his body.

Freyja was staring at Naruto in awe. In all the years he'd been in the Mienai Segi, she couldn't remember him ever showing anyone this power – she even wondered if Saladin knew of it. The transformation was impressive enough, and although she wasn't a sensor type she could tell this power was separate and distinct from what she knew belonged solely to him. In a strange way, it almost felt like he had a raging furnace of chakra burning at his core and she could tell he was keeping it restrained because otherwise, he'd probably be setting off every alarm in the village. And if you added this power to what she knew he was already capable of, his boast about being able to protect both her and Reira wasn't so farfetched after all...

Thinking he'd proved his point, Naruto powered down and summoned one of the ANBU, who appeared within seconds in his office.

"How may I serve you, Hokage-sama?" A woman with a Raven mask asked.

He gestured towards Freyja. "Escort this woman over to the Department of Shinobi Management. She needs to register as a kunoichi of Konoha and take the village oath. Give her any assistance she might require, but don't leave her side until she's finished."

Raven nodded her head. "Understood, Hokage-sama."

Naruto grinned impishly at his associate. "Oh, and Freyja…After you're done, please make sure to wear that nice, shiny hitai-ate they give you in a prominent place. I look forward to seeing it at the house later on tonight."

* * *

It was noon, and Mina was sitting outside the Hokage's office. The top of her desk was strewn with books and scrolls she'd gotten from the village archives, covering what she thought was every possibility for reverting ownership of property and funds that have been seized by the village back to their original source.

From what she'd already found in such a short period of time, she knew it wasn't going to be easy.

Her concentration was broken as she noticed someone coming down the hallway, dressed in a long overcoat – which she found extremely strange, considering how warm it was outside. At first she thought it might be someone from the Aburame clan, but as the person came nearer, she realized it was the Hokage's wife, and her face sported a sly grin.

"Good afternoon, Hinata." Mina greeted her cheerfully.

"Oh! Hello there, Mina." Hinata replied. "I'm a bit surprised to find you here. Where's Fuyuko?"

"If you're talking about that woman who used to sit at this desk, Hokage-sama fired her this morning and hired me in her place." Mina suddenly looked a bit uncomfortable. "I…I guess he didn't like her very much, and he needed someone to do detailed research, in addition to managing his schedule. Both Kiba-kun and I thought this would be a wonderful opportunity to do something I love, and Hokage-sama offered me a raise besides. I gratefully accepted."

"Well, congratulations Mina. It sounds like my husband has quite a bit of faith in you, and I know you'll do an excellent job for him. Speaking of which," Hinata inquired, looking past Mina. "is Naruto-kun in his office?"

"Yes, he is."

"Is anyone in there with him?"

A bit confused as to why she was asking, Mina shook her head. "Um, no. He's by himself."

"Thank you." Hinata replied, her grin growing a bit larger as she walked past Mina's desk and continued down the hall towards her destination.

Mina watched as Hinata opened the door to the Hokage's office and walked in, not even bothering to knock. But the last thing she saw before the door closed behind Hinata puzzled her, as she noticed that despite the heavy overcoat, her legs were bare. And she wasn't wearing sandals, but rather a pair of black strapped three inch heels.

_"Hey Hinata-hime. What brings you here today?"_

_"Hello, Naruto-kun. I was wondering if you were – umm, free – for _**_lunch_**_."_

_"Sure. How about we go to Ichiraku's? Or if you're not in the mood for ramen, there's a new sushi place right around the corner…"_

_"I was thinking maybe we could have…_**_lunch_**_ in your office today."_

Their conversation was carrying into the hallway, and Mina couldn't help but overhear them, as she sat dumbfounded at her desk. Kiba had told her on more than one occasion that during their younger years, Naruto had been an oblivious, knuckleheaded idiot but she'd seen none of that during the meeting earlier that day. His presence had been commanding, and despite how awkward the subject had been, he'd rendered a decision with the wisdom you'd expect from a Hokage.

However, she now understood what Kiba had been talking about, because the obvious emphasis Hinata was placing on the word _lunch_ was sailing right over his head.

_"Oh! Then you want to have it delivered? Because you're not carrying any bags of food, and I… I… I… I… HOLY SHIT, HINATA! What the hell is that?"_

_"It's _**_lunch_**_, Naruto-kun. Do you like it?"_

_"I think the nosebleed I have is enough of an answer, don't you? Where did you get that?"_

_"From a store called Naughty Kunoichi. It's over in the Red Light District on Jiraiya Street."_

Mina knew that place. Ino shopped there all the time, and had tried on several occasions to get her in the store. She'd actually peeked in once, but after seeing what was in the glass case by the door she decided that her shy nature probably wasn't ready for whatever else might be inside.

_"You…You bought this all on your own? And wore it down here, with only an overcoat covering you up?"_

_"I disguised myself with a henge until I walked into the building. I wanted to surprise you with something..._**_special,_**_ Naruto-kun. Didn't I do a good job?"_

_"Once again, let me point out the tremendous nosebleed I have as your answer."_

_"Then why do you have that look on your face? I thought you said you liked the new, confident side of me. Don't you find what you see attractive?"_

_"Well, of course I do Hinata, but…but…this is the Hokage's office!"_

_"So what? You're the Hokage."_

Mina couldn't argue with that logic.

_"Why are you inching away from me, Naruto-kun?"_

_"Because Hinata, we can't do this here!"_

Between the sultry seductiveness she heard in Hinata's voice, and the frightened terror that she heard from Naruto, Mina was blushing heavily, while trying not to laugh at the images running through her mind of the Hokage being chased around the office by his scantily clad wife.

_"And why not?"_

_"Because…Because what if someone hears us? Or comes in here unexpectedly?"_

_"You have privacy seals that you can use to make sure that doesn't happen. You might want to put them up, so Mina can't hear us."_

_"Mina? Oh shit, Mina! She can hear everything! I need to… Hinata, stop – stop staring at me like that… Just let me get back to my desk before you… Kami, that feels soooo gooood… No! Bad Hinata! Quit trying to distract me so I can put up the privacy…"_

That was the last thing Mina heard before the room went silent. She sighed, thinking it would probably be awhile before Hinata came out of the room, and in the meantime she might as well get some work done. She turned back to the books and scrolls on her desk, humming to herself and trying not to think about what was going on in the office down the hall.

* * *

In exactly one hour and twelve minutes, the door opened up and Hinata walked out. Her hair was a bit mussed, and if the smile on her face was any indication, that wasn't the only thing that was out of place.

Once she was standing by the desk, Hinata turned her head to stare absently at Mina, while trying to smooth her hair out with her hands.

"Mina, can you do me a favor? Please tell Naruto-kun when he calls you into his office that I'll be back tomorrow. With dessert."

Mina nodded and watched as Hinata continued to walk slowly down the hall, with a look on her face that she'd seen many times before on members of the Inuzuka clan. About five seconds after she was out of sight, she heard the voice Hinata had told her to expect.

"Mina! I need to see you in my office!" Naruto bellowed out.

She walked over to the door, wondering what she was going to see once she opened it. She hoped for something hilarious and not disturbing.

Needless to say, she wasn't disappointed.

Naruto was sitting behind the desk with his hair completely disheveled, as if he hadn't combed it in over a week. A smear of lipstick started at the left corner of his mouth and trailed its way across his whiskered cheek and down his neck, stopping at the collar of his shirt – which incidentally, he was now wearing inside out. He had a haunted look on his face, like he'd just been outsmarted and didn't know exactly how it happened.

"How was **_lunch_**, Hokage-sama?" Mina asked with barely suppressed mirth.

The haunted look disappeared, and Naruto glared at Mina out of the top of his eyes. "You are not to breathe a word of this to anyone." He said commandingly. "Not Kiba. Not Neji. And especially not Ino. Understood?"

"Understood. And I assume the same rules apply for tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow? What are you talking about?"

"Hinata told me to tell you when you called me into your office that she'd be back tomorrow. With dessert."

Naruto stared at her for a few more seconds and then he groaned, burying his face in his hands. "Maybe...Maybe I can find somewhere else to be tomorrow at lunch. There's gotta be something I can..."

Mina interrupted him. "I wouldn't recommend that, Hokage-sama." She said, shaking her head.

His face came up. "Care to tell me why not?" He asked, confused.

"Well, I saw the look on Hinata's face when she left and it was pretty obvious, especially to someone like me who's dating Kiba." Mina blushed slightly and then continued, "It's...It's the same look Inuzuka clan members get when they're hunting something, and I know from experience that getting in between a predator and their prey is a very bad idea. Trust me when I say that if you try and hide from your wife when it comes to this, you're only going to make things worse for yourself in the end."

Before he could answer, one of the ANBU appeared in his office. It was Tiger, the same one he'd summoned this morning, who couldn't help but notice the current state of his Hokage.

He glanced back and forth between Naruto and Mina a few times before finally asking, "Hokage-sama, what..."

"It's definitely not what you think." He said forcefully, interrupting the ANBU before he could finish his statement. "My wife came by my office today, and I'll tell you the same thing I told Mina. You are NOT to mention this to anyone, under penalty of the worst D-rank missions I can find for a month."

Tiger quickly agreed, shuddering internally at what those missions might be. Visions of Tora flashed through his mind. "Understood, Hokage-sama."

"Now, what do you have to report?"

"You asked to be informed when Temari Sabaku and Shikamaru Nara left for Suna. They departed about twenty five minutes ago, but I couldn't notify you at that point because the privacy seals on your office were still in place."

"Good. Have Yoshino Nara brought to my office." He said, and then before Tiger could leave he added, "And take the scenic route getting back here. I need to make sure no one else sees me like…**_THIS_**."

* * *

All things considered, the last week passed as quickly as could be expected. For once, paperwork hadn't been a problem in the Hokage's office, as Naruto had just summoned as many clones as needed to take care of whatever they threw at him by the end of every day. It also helped that during their first meeting on Wednesday, he told the civilian council that the days of them passing their paperwork off on him was now at an end, and if he found something on his desk that one of them should have personally taken care of, the council member responsible would be fined and the amount would double for every incident going forward.

The paperwork was reduced by a third seemingly overnight, and the fines he levied the next day over some forms that had been 'mistakenly' left behind took another two inches off the stack. As an added bonus, he donated the money he collected in fines to the local orphanage.

Mina had proven her worth several times over, completing the research he'd asked for her by Thursday and giving him a solid plan of attack at the next council meeting. If everything worked out, Sasuke would have full use of his land and clan funds with no future interference. He just hoped the council was stupid enough to fall for his plan. The civilian council certainly was, but the shinobi council – with individuals like Inoichi and Hiashi – were another matter entirely.

And Hinata…well, she came back the day after meeting him for 'lunch' and brought him 'dessert'. Two days later, she ambushed him in the shower under the pretense of just 'washing his back' and 'conserving water'. The day after that, it was during a private picnic she'd planned at an isolated waterfall, where she'd provided him with a repeat performance of her dance from the bikouchu beetle mission all those years ago.

The food was quickly forgotten after that, and some of the things they did probably scared the local wildlife.

He didn't know what to make of her relentless pursuit of him and their…**_amorous_** activities, so he simply chalked it up to a combination of her missing him tremendously for the two months he was gone, and the newfound confidence she'd acquired while training under Kakashi.

So he was actually looking forward to relaxing a bit during his three-day trip to Suna…once the business he was going there for originally was concluded. He just hoped Gaara would negotiate in good faith, and wouldn't ask for anything outlandish or demand too many concessions in return.

At nine o'clock on Friday, Naruto – wearing his brand new Hokage coat modeled after his father's – and one ANBU guard wearing a Jackal mask appeared in a flash of yellow light at the front gates of Suna, just as he'd promised Shikamaru and Temari. Gaara was there to meet him, along with a few members of the village council, and as soon as he saw Naruto he walked forward and extended his hand.

"Welcome to Suna, Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze, Hokage of Konoha." Gaara said, one corner of his mouth twitching almost imperceptibly. "I see that you finally made good on your childhood boast."

"Well, I prefer to just think of it as waiting for the right moment…" Naruto said, shaking Gaara's hand warmly. "…along with the maturity necessary to be Hokage that I lacked when I was younger. It's good to see you again, Gaara."

"And you as well, Naruto."

"I just need a minute before we get started." Naruto turned to Jackal and said decisively, "Remember, minimal stops and maximum stealth. Keep your chakra signature as low as possible. No fires; cold meals only. Get to your destination and deliver the message, and don't take any weapons inside the cave. Get the reply and head straight home." He gestured towards the front gate. "You have your orders. Get going and good luck."

Jackal bowed his head. "Understood, Hokage-sama." And with that, he turned around and sprinted out of the village.

"So Gaara, I know I was here about five months ago for your wedding, and I'm pretty familiar with Suna but it's the first time I've been here as Hokage." Naruto said, sporting a lively grin. "Think you can give me another tour?"

Gaara's spirit sagged. Something like that would take up most of the morning, and there was no way he could refuse the request, otherwise Konoha would consider it an insult to their newest Hokage.

Resigned to a morning of boredom, Gaara looked at his friend and shrugged his shoulders in defeat. "I suppose we can do that, Naruto. Where would you like to head first?"

"Actually, there's only a few places I have in mind at the moment. The first stop I'd like to make is the best jewelry store in all of Suna."

Gaara's eyes widened almost imperceptibly in surprise. "Jewelry store? Are you purchasing something for Hinata while you're here?"

"Not really. I have something else in mind that I'm going to need your help with. We can discuss it once I buy what I need and we get to your office."

"Are you sure? The walk to the jewelry store will take some time."

Naruto shook his head. "Unless you're interested in discussing your family business out in public, then the answer is no."

Gaara paused for a second and then nodded, agreeing with his friend. "Then let's get to the jewelry store along with your other stops, as I'm eager to hear whatever it is you wish to discuss."

As they walked through the village, many people stopped to stare at the man walking side by side with their beloved Kazekage. And it wasn't because of what he was – the coat on his back told everyone that he was the Hokage – rather, it was because of **who** he was.

In Suna he was known simply as Naruto, but his name was spoken in revered tones by the villagers in their twenties and older. He'd become as important to them as their Kazekage, because he'd saved their leader twice – once when he was a boy at the chūnin exams in Konoha, and the other was when the Akatsuki had captured him to extract Shukaku.

He saved the Kazekage from madness and despair, showing him what it meant to protect those precious to him. And he was Gaara's first true friend.

Naruto found the scene to be reminiscent of the first day he'd walked through the streets of Konoha as Hokage. Men and women bowed, and some even offered their hand in friendship. When told by their parents who he was, children smiled and ran up to hug him…one boy even went so far as to challenge him to a spar.

Even though his parents were aghast at the boldness of their son, Naruto smiled and played along, kneeling down in the middle of the street and mock-fighting him, letting him get in one good hit and then collapsing dramatically in defeat. As the boy ran back to his parents, asking excitedly if they saw him beat the Hokage they nodded, wordlessly mouthing 'thank you' to Naruto, who smiled and gave them a carefree wave as they walked off.

Konoha would always be his home, and as Hokage he'd protect the village with his life if he needed to. But he considered Suna like a second home to him, because the people there could look beyond their prejudices to see him for the person he was, and not the demon he contained.

* * *

It was around two o'clock when Gaara summoned Shikamaru to his office. He'd been spending as much time as he possibly could with Temari lately, since once he left with Naruto to go back to Konoha, it'd be quite some time before they saw each other again.

However, as he walked into the Kazekage's office he was surprised to find Naruto there, sitting down with his feet propped up on the desk. He'd known that Naruto was going to be in Suna today, but was confused as to why he would be here for his meeting with Gaara.

"So Matsuri actually demanded in the middle of the night that you go to Konoha and get her some Ichiraku ramen?" Naruto asked incredulously.

Gaara gave him a small nod. "Yes, along with five jars of garlic pickles from that organic food shop near the Yamanaka compound." He said discouragingly. "When I pointed out that we have those items in Suna, she said that the ones in Konoha were better. I then candidly told her that I would NOT be making a four day round trip to Konoha just for ramen and pickles and she ran away crying, saying I must not love her as much as she thought."

An amused grin appeared on his face and Naruto asked, "So what did you do? Frozen personality or not, there's no way you could let something like that go."

"I…I sent one of my ANBU to get the items for Matsuri." Gaara said abashedly.

Naruto broke out in laughter over his friend's predicament. He knew he shouldn't be taking pleasure in Gaara's suffering, but damn if that wasn't funny.

As he was wiping the tears from his eyes, Naruto finally noticed they had a visitor. "Hey, Shikamaru! Just the person we wanted to see." He waved his hand towards the chair on the other side of Gaara's desk and said, "Come on in and sit down."

Shikamaru closed the door and walked over to the empty seat. He dubiously looked at his childhood friends, who also happened to be two of the most powerful men in the elemental nations.

"So, I'm curious. Why did you two need to see me?"

Naruto placed his feet back on the floor, and the merriment disappeared from his face. "We'd like to ask you a few questions Shikamaru, and we expect you to give us honest answers."

"Also, you are not to make one joke or use the word 'troublesome' during any part of the conversation." Gaara added with certitude.

Shikamaru could tell they were dead serious about whatever the subject matter was, and that if he even entertained the notion of lying or evading any of the questions, the search parties would probably never find his body. He nodded, letting them know he understood the gravity of his situation.

"I would like to know how you feel about my sister." Gaara asked pointedly.

Shikamaru blinked a few times, not expecting the question and taken slightly aback. "I'm…I'm sorry Gaara, but could you be a bit more specific? In what way are you asking how I feel about Temari?"

"Even though I believe you're smart enough to figure it out, I'll humor you a bit." Gaara said, his eyes piercing and his tone blunt. "Do you love my sister or not?"

Shikamaru had a hunch that's what Gaara was getting at, but was hoping to avoid something like this. Frankly, it was embarrassing to be talking about his feelings towards Temari with…well anyone, but especially her brother who also happens to be the Kazekage.

"Well…of course I love her. Would I have dated her all this time if I didn't?"

Gaara's eyes bored into Shikamaru. "Then why haven't you asked for her hand in marriage before now?"

Shikamaru squirmed uncomfortably under his gaze. If there was one thing Gaara excelled at, it was intimidation. But he had a very good defense against the question.

"Well, there's a few reasons actually. Besides the fact that Temari is pretty much royalty here – being your sister and all – she's a jōnin level kunoichi with a wind affinity. If I asked her to marry me, there's no way Suna would just up and let her leave…she's too valuable to the village."

"Almost all of those reasons hold true for me as well. I'm a jōnin with a bloodline limit, and if I leave Konoha then my clan leaves with me. But even discounting all that, I've been told on more than one occasion by Tsunade and Kakashi – and I'm guessing you share the same sentiment as well, Naruto – that my intelligence makes me far too valuable of an asset to the village for anyone to even consider the option of me leaving. So despite my feelings for Temari, the two of us are basically at an impasse."

Naruto and Gaara exchanged a glance, before they nodded at each other in unspoken agreement.

"Well then, that's not a problem anymore." Naruto said, as if somehow stating the obvious. "You'll be happy to know that Gaara and I negotiated a deal, and Temari now has the option of leaving Suna and becoming a kunoichi of Konoha if she wants to." He took a scroll out of his coat and tossed it to Shikamaru, who caught it in midair. "We're not telling you all the conditions we agreed upon, but that document has the important parts. I suggest you open it up and read it."

Shikamaru opened the scroll and began to read. After several seconds, his eyes went wide and he looked at Naruto in shock. "This…This is a marriage contract."

Naruto grinned roguishly, relishing the fact that he'd caught the Nara off guard for once. "That's right, Shikamaru."

"Who wrote this agreement?" He asked, as he continued scanning the document. "There's no loopholes, no gray areas for interpretation…nothing!"

"I had Hinata draw it up." Naruto said, somewhat smugly. "The Hyūga clan are quite…meticulous about their legal documents, don't you think?"

"And what's with this part?" Shikamaru demanded, pointing at a specific section. "You've got a clause in here that says Temari and I have to produce an heir within a year!"

"Um, actually that was your mother's idea. Not mine." Naruto said, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Although, I agree with Yoshino and am in full support of the idea." Garra added.

Shikamaru groaned. "I should have known that you'd bring my mother into this." His eyes finally reached the bottom of the page, where he noticed that Yoshino had signed the document, and he grinned exultantly. "Ha! But it doesn't matter anyway, because my mother approved this thing. If I don't sign it myself, it's not legal and binding."

Naruto wagged a finger at him. "And that's where you're wrong, Shikamaru. I brought up the same point when Kakashi-sensei showed me the document that made me Hokage, and he informed me that Konoha law says that when the clan head is out of the village or unable to perform his or her duties, their spouse becomes their duly authorized representative. Since you don't have a spouse, it falls to…"

"The former clan head or their spouse." Shikamaru said, his eyes widening in realization. He looked back down at the signature. "That's why this thing is dated after I left the village last week. You waited until Temari and I were gone so my mother could legally sign it, you sneaky bastard."

"You have the right to refuse, of course." Naruto said, ignoring him and mimicking the words Kakashi used on him last week. "But you should know that if you do, I'm obligated to tell Yoshino that I gave you the chance to marry Temari, and you refused."

Shikamaru's eyes widened in horror. "Naruto, you - you know what my mother is like. She'll kill me!"

"Probably. She made it very clear in our meeting that she's quite fond of Temari, and it's a sore subject with her that you're still not married. I've been told it's a running joke in the village."

"You should also be aware that I am under the same obligation as Naruto, whereas I'll be informing Temari that you were offered the opportunity to marry her, and found a way to refuse." Gaara said dryly.

They didn't think it was possible, but Shikamaru's eyes widened even further. "Gaara, Temari will **definitely** kill me if my mother doesn't do it first!"

"Naruto and I have considered that possibility, yes. But knowing my sister, killing you would be letting you off easy. When she's - inspired, Temari can be very creative when it comes to physical interrogation tactics, and I shudder to think of what she'll dream up in regards to you." Gaara said, as a shiver ran down his back. "I doubt that even Tsunade would be able to patch you up afterwards."

Shikamaru actually started to tremble slightly at the thought, and then his eyes shot towards Naruto. "You can't let that happen! You just hired me for an important job. You need me!" He shouted desperately.

"I've got Shino waiting in the wings. He might not be as smart as you, but I'm sure he's more than qualified to do the job."

Taken slightly aback at Naruto's offhand remark, Shikamaru stared at Naruto in confusion. "I…I need to know. Why are you doing this to me? Have I offended you in some way? Pissed you off past the point of no return?"

Naruto sighed sympathetically. "Actually, it's just the opposite Shikamaru. I used to think just like you. Seven months ago, I didn't need or want anyone else in my life. I was okay with the way things were, and I planned on living the rest of my days alone." His tone became wistful, and a faraway look appeared in his eyes. "But then Kakashi-sensei sent me a message saying Hinata needed my help. It wasn't until I got back to Konoha that I found out the real reason why he needed me back in the village, which was to marry her. I won't lie; at first I was opposed to the idea but looking back on it, marrying Hinata and finding out about Hikaru are two of the best things that ever happened to me."

"I was wrong. I needed that push in the right direction." He reached into his pocket and produced a small, velvet box which he tossed to Shikamaru. "And I think you do too."

"What's this?" Shikamaru asked, opening the box.

"It's called a fire opal. Opal has a special meaning to the people of Suna; it represents true love and happiness. Gaara told me that this version is actually quite rare in the elemental nations, and I thought with Temari moving to Konoha a fire opal would be more fitting. You know, with Konoha being in fire country and all. Consider it a very expensive gift from your Hokage."

"The jeweler sized the ring for Temari. You may use it the next time you see her to propose." Gaara stated decisively. "I would recommend that you make it the most heartfelt, honest and sincere thing you've ever said. Convey to her that she is your most precious person, and try not to use the word troublesome in any part of it."

Shikamaru stared at the ring for a moment before closing the box and twirling it between his fingers, thinking about what Naruto had just said to him. While it was true Naruto and Gaara had backed him into a corner, he'd also taken the job as Advisor to the Hokage without thinking about the consequences, which was very unlike him. He didn't know if his relationship with Temari would survive so much time away from each other, and here he was being given a chance to fix it – permanently – and he was fighting it.

He wondered why. And the more he thought about it, the more he realized it was that…**_he was afraid._**

Shikamaru liked predictability. It was easy to understand. You always knew what would happen, and could plan accordingly.

He was afraid of change. Afraid of the unknown. Afraid of the future. And if he married Temari and had children, he'd have to deal with the ensuing chaos his life would become. It was either that or lose her, possibly forever.

_He wasn't sure which one scared him more._

Finishing his thought, he pocketed the ring and saw that his friends were staring at him expectantly. And then, just as he opened his mouth and was about to say something, karma struck – and Temari walked into the office.

"Shikamaru! I thought you were taking me shopping before we went to dinner!" She said crossly. "What're you still doing here?"

He glared at the other two men in the room. _You knew she'd show up here, didn't you?_ His eyes seemed to say.

_We have no idea what you're talking about._ Naruto and Gaara eye smiled back at him. Kakashi would have been proud.

Shikamaru pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration, before walking over to stand in front of Temari. His hands came up to grasp her shoulders and he stared straight into her eyes.

"Temari." He said, his gaze questioning. "If I asked you to give up Suna for me, would you do it?"

She furrowed her brow in confusion. "What are you talking about, Shika?"

"I'm talking about this." He waved his hand around the room. "All of this. If I asked you to give up your life in Suna for me, would you do it?"

After a moment of silence, her confused look turned into a full blown scowl. "Have you been drinking?"

His eyes went wide at her accusation. "No! No, I haven't…"

"Then where the hell did that come from? You know there's no way I can leave Suna, so why are you even asking?"

"For a minute, suppose…just suppose there was a way. And I asked you to do it. What would you say?"

She narrowed her eyes at him. "I'd wanna know exactly what way you're talking about."

_Shikamaru took an exasperated breath. Stubborn blondes with their thick skulls and stubborn attitudes. He thought to himself. I'd use the word troublesome if I could get away with it. Guess I should just get this over with._

Temari watched as Shikamaru smiled at her – a warm, genuine smile – like he'd suddenly had an epiphany and was at peace with whatever decision he'd just made. The look in his eyes gave her hot flashes and cold shivers at the same time. It was strange to see and yet so powerful, that a lump formed in her throat and she swallowed heavily against the emotion.

"Temari Sabaku. Suna-hime. My desert rose." Shikamaru began. "When we first met, I had no idea you would impact my life this much. You're there for me when I need you. You've seen me at my best and my worst. You love me despite my laziness, and you've stayed with me longer than anyone could ever reasonably hope to ask anyone else."

"I acted thoughtlessly and carelessly last week, when I accepted the job Naruto offered me without considering you or your feelings." He said dejectedly. "We survived the hell of the fourth shinobi war, but I doubt our relationship would survive so much time apart because of my duties. You're my best friend, my other half and I honestly couldn't imagine my life without you."

Temari's mind was reeling. Shikamaru had just said more romantic words to her in one minute than in the entire time she'd known him. There was only one reason she could think of as to why he'd be saying all these things, but it didn't make any sense because both of them knew she was still bound to Suna.

"Gaara is giving you the opportunity to leave Suna and come with me to Konoha, if you want. It just depends on how you answer my next question." He dramatically reached into his pocket and pulled out the box, dropping to one knee and opening it for her to see the ring. "Temari Sabaku, will you marry me?"

Temari stood frozen in place, stunned speechless and her eyes were as big as dinner plates. The last thing in the world she ever expected to happen…_had just happened._ Her layabout boyfriend had finally proposed. For a brief moment, she'd entertained the thought of beating him senseless, since he was probably doing it knowing there was no way she could ever say yes, but if she just heard correctly…

She blinked and turned her head to stare at Gaara, eyes still wide in disbelief. "Is…Is what he said true?"

"Yes, Temari. An agreement has been reached, and you now have the chance to leave Suna if you want." He smirked at his sister, who was still staring at him dumbfounded. "You will have to marry the Nara to do so, of course. But your happiness means everything to me, Temari." Gaara's look became thoughtful as he finished, "And I'm sure it would have meant everything to Kankuro as well."

Temari's eyes filled with tears, as she heard the loving words from her brother. She turned back to Shikamaru, who was still holding the ring and kneeling in front of her expectantly. After a few moments she reached down, taking his face in her hands and drawing him into a standing position.

"Then I say yes, you lazy bum." She said, grinning happily as the tears fell down her cheeks. "I'll give up my life in Suna – in exchange for a lifetime with you."

As the two kissed passionately in front of them, Naruto grinned devilishly at Gaara and nodded, signaling his friend to press the button on his desk. Almost immediately, the side door in his office opened and a troupe of people walked in. Various arrangements of desert wildflowers were placed around the room, and a bouquet that matched them was pressed into Temari's hands, while another person pinned an elaborate headpiece into her hair. Matsuri actually waddled in, immensely pregnant with a bouquet of her own to stand next to Temari, while Naruto stepped up to stand next to Shikamaru. Gaara stood between the two of them and began to read from a book he'd removed from his desk.

"We are gathered here to…" Gaara intoned.

"Wait a minute!" Temari exclaimed, interrupting him. "What the hell is going on?"

"Well Temari, I should think it's pretty obvious. Since you can't leave Suna unless you're married, Shikamaru set this all up…" Naruto waved his hand around the room. "…in the off chance you'd say yes to his proposal. That way, you'll have a few days for the honeymoon before the two of you leave with me on Monday when I go back to Konoha."

Temari glanced skeptically at Shikamaru, who smiled lovingly at her and quickly nodded – all the while realizing Naruto was trying to give him complete credit and help him score some extra points with his soon-to-be wife.

The rest of the ceremony went as planned and for his part, Naruto was feeling guilty at having given Shikamaru very little choice in the matter of his marriage to Temari, but at the same time he was pleased with himself that he saved a relationship, and brought happiness to two of his friends' lives.

* * *

**_***Time Skip – Late Sunday Night***_**

"Hikaru! Wake up!"

"Huh? Wuzzat?" Hikaru mumbled, his mind still in a fog. He opened his eyes and saw his mother's face, and then looked at the clock to see what time it was.

It was eleven o'clock at night. He'd barely been asleep an hour, since he'd snuck out of the house earlier to set up his latest prank on Hiashi, and now his mother was gently shaking him awake.

"Mom? Is something wrong? Are we being attacked?" Hikaru asked, suddenly concerned.

Hinata shook her head. "No, sweetie. I need your help with something." She moved aside, and Hikaru saw several gallons of paint sitting on the floor, along with a few brushes.

Hikaru looked back and forth a few times between the items and his mother. "Mom? I'm…kinda confused right now. If nothing's wrong, then why'd you wake me up? And what's the paint and brushes for?"

Looking at Hikaru's tousled hair and befuddled expression, Hinata couldn't help but think of another boy she fell in love with so many years ago. Smiling, she reached out and brushed the hair back from his eyes.

"You know Hikaru, even though you don't look very much like your father, you still remind me of him in so many ways. And I'm counting on that tonight."

Hikaru watched as his mother grinned mischievously, and it unnerved him since he'd never seen that look on her face before.

"Your father's coming home tomorrow morning, and before he gets back I need you to play a prank for me. If you get in trouble, I'll accept full responsibility and personally complete any punishment they give you. But I need you to do a good job, because this is very important. Will you help me out?"

Hikaru didn't even hesitate. How often does someone get the chance to play a prank with no chance of being punished? "Why sure, Mom. You know I'll always help you if you need it. What's the prank?"

_As Hinata explained what she wanted him to do, Hikaru's face lit up like a spotlight. This is gonna be good, he thought to himself. Dad's gonna be so surprised, and I wish I could be there tomorrow when he finally sees it._

* * *

At nine o'clock the next morning, Naruto appeared in his office in a flash of yellow light. He'd used Kurama's chakra to power his Hiraishin no Jutsu and transported Shikamaru, Temari and himself back from Suna in an instant. Good thing he'd checked to see if that would work on the way there with the ANBU he sent to deliver the message to Saladin.

He'd dropped the newlyweds off at the front gate and gave Shikamaru an extra day to talk with his mother and get things in order before starting his new job. Even though a day probably wouldn't be enough time, it was all he could spare at the moment.

As he expected upon his return, his desk was covered in paperwork. He sighed, realizing that menial tasks like this came with being the Hokage. But at least he knew a technique to help ease the strain.

"Shadow clones, do your thing!" He shouted excitedly, spreading his arms out in front him. Five of them poofed into existence, and he joined them in getting to work on the stacks of paperwork that threatened to overwhelm his desk.

After an hour and a half, he dispelled the clones because the paperwork was pretty much gone and all that was left were minor requests from the civilian council, which he would put off until tomorrow when he had a chance to talk with Shikamaru. He was celebrating mentally, and wondered if he might actually be able to get in some training before the next major crisis.

The door to his office flew open, and Hiashi barged in. "Uzumaki! I demand that you do something!"

_Kami hates me,_ Naruto thought. _That's what it is._ "Good morning, Hiashi. What brings you here today?"

Hiashi thrust his hands out in front of him. The palms had hair on them. "**_This_** is what bring me here today. Do you know how **_this_** happened?"

Naruto looked at Hiashi's hair, and noticed that a slight part of one side was missing, which meant that someone had pulled a prank on the Hyūga clan leader and put glue in his shampoo. Hiashi must have been pretty lucky to catch it before washing his entire head in the stuff. And even though he knew it wasn't very sympathetic, he couldn't help but make a joke at the man's expense.

"Well, I've got a couple of ideas. But if you don't stop what you're doing, you'll probably go blind."

Hiashi jerked his hands back and glared at the man in front of him. "You're not funny, Uzumaki."

_Okay, that's twice he's called me that._ Naruto thought. _The first time I was willing to let it go, but I think he needs a small reminder of where he is and who I am._ He increased the chakra pressure in the room and pushed out a small amount of killing intent, freezing Hiashi in the middle of his tirade.

"You need to adjust your attitude Hiashi…" Naruto said, his tone of voice dangerously low. "…or I'll follow through on my threat from the day of the wedding to feed you to the Kyuubi."

Hiashi blanched, as the memories of that moment came flashing back. There were very few times in his life he'd ever experienced something as terrifying as that.

**_Yes, that moment was quite funny. How about you keep raising your chakra pressure and killing intent until we scare him enough so that he soils himself?_**

_Naruto chuckled internally. That probably wouldn't be a good idea, Kurama. Besides the fact that it would more than likely scare the shit out of everyone working in the tower, I'm the Hokage now and I can't be doing something like that to important clan leaders. Even though I agree that would be hilarious._

**_I suppose you're right. And besides, I wouldn't want to eat him after that._**

"Hiashi. I think you're forgetting exactly where you are right now. This is the Hokage's office. I'm the Hokage. You can call me Naruto or Hokage-sama, but don't use Uzumaki or Namikaze when you're talking directly to me ever again. Understand?"

Now, Hiashi was not weak by any means, and there was a reason he was still the head of the Hyūga clan, even after all these years. But the feel of the power Naruto was emitting made it very clear why he was the Hokage, and it would be a good idea not to piss him off, because the young man probably could eliminate him without very much effort.

He bowed his head submissively. "My…apologies, Naruto." He said, struggling to get the words out. "I'm just…angry and frustrated at my current situation. And I'm…requesting your help."

Naruto lowered his chakra pressure and killing intent, and then smirked at his father-in-law. "See? That wasn't so hard now, was it?" He gestured to the chair in front of his desk. "Please sit down and tell me your troubles, Hiashi. What exactly do you need my help with?"

Hiashi sat down in the chair and proceeded to tell Naruto about the pranks he'd been subjected to over the past month and half. Replacing the deodorant in his dispenser with cream cheese. The incident with Tora and the catnip. Substituting a roll of 40-grit sandpaper for his toilet paper. Filling his dresser drawers with kinky ladies undergarments. And everything else up to the glue he found in his shampoo that morning.

"At first I thought she might be targeting the whole clan, but apparently it's just me. Somehow, I've pissed this woman off and I don't know who it is or why, and any attempts to catch her have been unsuccessful. She evades the women I post as guards and if the men happen to spot her, they get severe nosebleeds and pass out."

Naruto raised one eyebrow in curiosity. "Okay, two questions. First, how do you know she's a woman? And second, why are the men getting nosebleeds and passing out?"

"She was spotted on several occasions by my guards. She's about four feet tall with dark hair – we've never been able to determine the exact color – and it seems she's a nudist, because she runs around the compound completely naked." Hiashi shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "I've been told by those that have seen her that she's very well…umm, proportioned."

_Female… Naked… Dark Hair… About four feet tall, which was too short for who he was thinking about… "Was Konohamaru in the village for every one of these pranks?"_

Hiashi blinked in confusion, and then thought about the question for a minute before he shook his head. "No. Looking back, half of the time he was away from the village on missions. Why?"

Naruto's mind was churning with suspicions, but that last piece of information was the clincher. "Because I'm pretty sure I know who it is. Hikaru's the one who's been playing pranks on you."

Hiashi stared dumbfounded at Naruto. "That's impossible! It's a woman, not an eight year old boy that's been terrorizing me! And even if he was disguising himself with a henge, the Byakugan would have seen right through it!"

"Sorry, that's incorrect. He's been using the Sexy Jutsu to disguise himself, and the technique is a true transformation, not just a simple henge. So even if someone used the Byakugan, they'd still just see a naked woman and not Hikaru. Konohamaru is probably the one who taught it to him, since the only other ones who know how to do it are Moegi and Udon, and I can't see them being involved in this."

Hiashi's expression turned to shock, then anger and finally rage. "Naruto." He spat through grating teeth. "You will speak to your son and have the pranks stopped immediately. Also, I demand an apology from the boy and expect that you will punish him severely for his actions."

Naruto shook his head. "Sorry, Hiashi. I'll be speaking to Hikaru and you have my word that as of now, the pranks are going to stop. But as far as the rest, the punishment will be mild and not severe, and you won't be getting an apology from him. And if you want to know why, it's because of the conversation you had with Hinata at my house while I was away."

Still angry, Hiashi narrowed his eyes at Naruto and asked, "The conversation? The one where I apologized to my daughter? What exactly does that have to do with what your son did?"

"I'll get to that in a minute, but let me ask you a question first. We both know that children are born to the Hyūga clan occasionally without the Byakugan. If that'd happened to Neji, would your brother Hizashi have loved him any less?"

"I'm still not understanding where you're going with this, Naruto."

Naruto held up his hand. "Just humor me for a minute Hiashi, and answer the question. If Neji had been born without the Byakugan, would Hizashi have loved him any less?"

Even though asking about his brother brought up painful memories for him – even to this day – Hiashi knew that Naruto was doing this with a specific purpose in mind, and he didn't have to think too long about what his brother would have said.

"No." He said, shaking his head. "No, he wouldn't have."

"And whether he had the Byakugan or not, would it have changed your decision to adopt him when your brother sacrificed his life for yours?"

The answer was even more immediate. "Absolutely not. Neji is Hyūga no matter what."

Naruto knew he had Hiashi hooked at this point. He just needed a bit more enlightenment. "And what would you do if someone came to you and said he wasn't?"

His expression turned hard and he glared at Naruto. "I would make sure they paid for their indiscretion in broken bones and blood…" He trailed off as he suddenly realized where the conversation had been steered.

Naruto smirked and said, "I'm guessing the light bulb just came on, Hiashi. Hinata told me you said during the conversation that you didn't consider Hikaru to be family – the reasons why don't really matter as far as I'm concerned. So Hikaru got angry and did exactly what you would have done and made the person responsible suffer. He just did it a whole lot less violently."

Hiashi tilted his head in thought. He begrudgingly agreed to himself that Naruto had a point. He'd basically set himself up for this. But still…

"And besides, why should it matter if Hinata gave birth to him or not? She was everything to Hikaru you'd expect a mother to be. And even if you could use that whole 'he's not truly your son' bullshit Hinata told me you said, he's still **MY** son. And unless I'm mistaken, I'm still a member of your _esteemed_ clan, even if I don't know what Hinata's current status is after hearing the truth."

That subject had been a matter of debate at the last few clan council meetings. Even though everyone felt ashamed at how Hinata had been treated, the elders came down on both sides of the issue. Hiashi agreed with the group that wanted to reinstate her, while the other ones stubbornly refused to change their minds, even knowing they were wrong.

"All Hikaru wants is to be acknowledged by you for who and what he is. To be treated like family despite where he came from." Naruto's voice became a bit melancholy. "I know how he feels, because that's all I ever dreamed about when I was a kid."

"Hiashi, are you aware of your – umm, upcoming family expansion?" He asked, purposely leaving the question open ended.

Hiashi nodded. "Yes. Both Hanabi and Tenten are pregnant, and due within a week or so of each other."

So he knew. That made things for Naruto a bit easier. "Hiashi, I'm going to be blunt with you. It's no secret around the village that you were a moderately terrible father to Hinata and Hanabi. But now you've got a rare second chance to do things right, except this time as a grandfather. You already have Hikaru, and in a few months you'll have two more children that'll call you ojii-san someday. Now, are you going to take advantage of this opportunity, or are you still going to have that inflexible stick up your Hyūga ass and think you did a good job, when everyone clearly knows you didn't?"

At hearing the words Hiashi glared coldly at Naruto, who returned the stare calmly while sitting at his desk, unafraid of the Hyūga clan leader.

For his part, Hiashi was seething on the inside. He was well aware that his abilities, or lack thereof as a parent were widely known around the village. Many branch members, as well as a few of the younger Hyūga council members, had expressed their opinion on the matter to him many times over the years but he'd swept those concerns under the rug, unforgiving and uncaring as to what people thought of him.

However, that façade had begun to crack the day he apologized to Hinata. There were quite a few descriptive words to explain how badly he'd treated her over almost eight years before finding out the truth about Hikaru, but the long and short of it was that Hinata didn't deserve the majority of what she'd endured, and not only had he let it happen, he'd participated in her suffering.

A revelation like that was a hard pill to swallow, even for someone like him.

And another large part of his wall had come tumbling down when he'd learned that Hanabi and Tenten were pregnant. True, there were some – uncomfortable issues with Tenten that needed to be addressed, and as much as he hated to admit it, Naruto was right. Despite his outward behavior, he was kind of looking forward to being a grandfather, and he didn't want people remembering him for how much of an asshole he was to his own children.

Angry that he'd been outsmarted once again, he slammed his hand down on the desk in frustration. "Damn it, Naruto! How the hell do you do that?"

Naruto gave him a confused look. "What're you talking about, Hiashi?"

"How do you always manage to twist things around with your words, so that other people see your side of things and agree with you?"

Naruto shrugged. "I don't know. I've always had that skill, I guess. It's pretty much how I got everyone's help in the fourth shinobi war, and…"

The two of them were interrupted by a loud twanging sound – like someone had just used a gigantic slingshot – and Hiashi watched through the windows of the Hokage's office as a green object flew through the sky over the village.

_"FLAMES OF YOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUUTH!"_

"What is that?" Hiashi asked, activating his Byakugan to see it better, his eyes following the object as it rushed towards the Hokage Monument. He then spotted another green object moving in the same direction, however this one was running rapidly along the rooftops of Konoha.

_"GUY-SENSEI! I WILL CATCH YOU ON TOP OF THE HOKAGE MONUMENT! IF I FAIL, I WILL DO TEN THOUSAND PUSH-UPS! YOSH!"_

Naruto buried his face in his hands. "I know what it is, Hiashi. And my advice is that you turn off your Byakugan and look away, before you're scarred for life."

"_LEEEEEEEEEE…."_ Might Guy shouted, his voice fading into the distance as he got farther away from the tower.

"_GUUUUYYYY-SENSEEEEEIIIII…"_ Rock Lee responded, his voice fading as well.

_"Leeeeeeeeee…."_

_"Guuuuyyyy-senseeeeeiiiii…"_

And then, even though it was ten-thirty in the morning and it went against everything Hiashi thought was possible, a sunset appeared over the whole village.

_"LEE-KUN! WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU ABOUT SUBJECTING OTHER PEOPLE TO THE SUNSET JUTSU?" Another voice shouted, intruding on the moment._

"_I'm sorryyyyy, Arekusuuuuuu…"_ Lee's voice responded, wafting over the village.

His head still buried in his hands, Naruto summoned one of the ANBU to his office. A man in a Boar mask appeared.

"Yes, Hokage-sama?" Boar asked.

"I'm sure you saw the same display everyone else in the village just did." Naruto said, raising his face to look at Boar. "What the hell was that all about?"

Boar actually flinched a little bit. "Ah, well…Might Guy thought his 'flames of youth' had gotten smaller lately, so he's been thinking up extreme training scenarios to…umm, reignite them. And of course, Rock Lee decided to help."

Naruto groaned. Trust those two to come up with something as psychotic as launching themselves across the village. "Find Might Guy and Rock Lee and tell them that any more 'extreme' training has to be done outside of the village, where no one will have to see their sunset jutsu. And make sure they stay away from training ground twenty-six, because that's my territory. Okay?"

Boar bowed and said, "I'll make sure they know, Hokage-sama." And he disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

Naruto looked back at Hiashi, and was a bit taken aback to see the Hyūga clan head actually smirking at him.

"Umm, what's so funny Hiashi?" He asked hesitantly. "You're kinda creeping me out…"

Hiaishi's smirk grew into a full-blown grin. "I just find it a bit ironic that several minutes earlier, you made a point of mentioning that my family will soon be expanding." He pointed over Naruto's left shoulder and asked, "Have you bothered to look at the Hokage Monument today?"

"No, why?" Naruto asked, swiveling his chair around to look out the window. Everything looked the same as it always did, except…

_EXCEPT…_

He noticed that someone had painted the Hokage Monument. To be more specific, the area above his face. It wasn't much, just a simple phrase in big black letters that said…

**_'WE'RE PREGNANT!'_**

"Since you didn't mention it earlier, I'm going to assume you didn't know before now." Hiashi said, with a hint of amusement. "I guess congratulations are in order, Naruto."

Hiashi expected some sort of response to his words – an acknowledgement of his offer of congratulations, a shout of joy – hell, even a mumble of confusion would have been something. But there was nothing.

"Naruto, did you hear what I just said? I offered you…"

Hiashi then noticed that it had been about fifteen seconds since Naruto had first looked out the window and since then, he hadn't moved one bit. Or flinched. Or even looked like he was still breathing for that matter.

Hiashi was starting to get concerned and then Naruto's chair began to tip backwards slowly, the chair creaking with every inch of movement. It continued that way until it reached the tipping point, sending Naruto and the chair crashing to the floor.

Hiashi casually watched the entire thing happen, and after Naruto hit the floor with a resounding thud, he waited a few more seconds before he got up and walked around the desk.

He laughed at the sight.

Naruto was lying on the floor, his eyes rolled up into his head with a euphoric grin stretched across his face. Hiashi had seen his daughter do it enough times to realize that Naruto had fainted from emotional overload.

Hiashi turned around and began to walk out of the office, chuckling the entire time. He reached the door and just before he opened it, he turned around and said to the catatonic Hokage…

"You know Naruto, I think I may have made a mistake all these years in my judgment of you as far as my daughter is concerned. It's obvious from this display that the two of you are absolutely **perfect** for one another."

* * *

A/N: So there you have it! Hinata is finally pregnant and everyone knows about it, so stop asking me when it'll happen! And that reason is pretty much why this chapter is so big and taken a bit longer to release. I had to put that part in at the end, otherwise my faithful readers might have led a riot in revolt, since you've been waiting quite a while for that.

So now we're going to do some **Credit Where Credit Is Due** at the end of the chapter. I normally don't do this, but I didn't want to ruin the story at the beginning by revealing who was responsible for what:

The fire opal idea was a variation of one used in **Love's Never Easy by Ayrmed.** She gave me permission to use it. Thank you so much!

Mina Mikon is the OC of MattWilson83. And Arekusu is the OC of shock777 on DeviantArt. 'Nuff said.

**MattWilson83** gets credit for the opening part where Naruto talks to the rest of his classmates. The part where he visits Sakura in the hospital was tweaked based on his ideas. Mina getting hired as Naruto's personal secretary was also due to his suggestions, and the wording for her description came directly from him. And last but not least, Hinata seducing Naruto in his office was inspired by one of his latest artworks, **Attracting Naruto.**

Which leads me to my request for all artists and DeviantArt members out there I promised at the beginning of this story. The outfit Hinata was wearing in Naruto's office was this (you know what to replace the stars with):

www . amazon . *** / LOCOMO-Halter-Bottom-Purple-FFL015 / dp / B0097AX006

I'd like someone to draw Hinata in this outfit. We can even make this a contest if you guys like, and all the artwork (with your permission) will be posted on my DeviantArt account. There's nothing there right now - since I'm not an artist - and I'm even willing to go so far as to pay a commission for the winner. The one rule I have is that you have to be AT LEAST as good an artist as **MattWilson83.** If all you can draw is stick figures or color between the lines, then please save us all the agony and don't try.

As far as the story goes, as the title suggested I hope everyone got a taste of the unexpected. Naruto is acting like a Hokage should. Hinata is being more bold. Freyja is now a kunoichi of the village. Shikamaru and Temari got married and she'll be pregnant soon (man, she's gonna be irritable). Naruto knows Konohamaru taught Hikaru the Sexy Jutsu and has been using it to prank Hiashi. And Hiashi is going to try and remove that stick up his ass and be a good grandparent. Care to guess what's going to happen there?

And now that all that stuff is out of the way, we can get back to some NaruHina family interaction, which I know my readers are going to love. Yay!

So what's coming next? Well, two more Mienai Segi reveal themselves. You already got the name of one of them at the beginning of the chapter, but they'll both play an integral part in what's going to happen with Gideon. Naruto sees Hinata about being pregnant. Naruto confronts Hikaru. And quite a few other items will be thrown in for good measure. So stay tuned!

**_Recommendation time!_** Okay, I have several stories I want to recommend but I'm trying to continue my theme of paying it forward to stories that don't have that many followers or favorites, despite the fact that the authors are incredible writers and do excellent work. I had one in mind, but I gotta wait until that author gets beyond four chapters. However, lately I've been very much into **The Fox and the Lioness by KittyKatChan96.** Naruto comes back from his training with Jiraiya and isn't so oblivious for once to Hinata's feelings for him (which is how it SHOULD have been in the manga anyway). Things get heated almost right from the start (chapter 2 and it's rated M for a reason, people) and the progression is fantastic. Fair disclosure, there are several parts in the story where it's suggested that Sakura and Kakashi will be getting together but if you have no problem with that then do yourself a favor and give it a chance. There's TONS of NaruHina goodness running through it and the latest chapter was an emotional rollercoaster – I loved every minute of it.

Here's the link, as usual remove the spaces and you know what to replace the stars with:

www . fanfiction . *** / s / 8933423

**REVIEWS!** So, last chapter I hit one of my personal goals of 1,000 reviews. I know stories that have twice the followers/favorites as mine that don't have that many, so I think it speaks to the readers I have and how passionate they are about what I write. I can't thank you guys enough for your encouragement and support, because it's these things that drive me to continue to write, even when I get writers block or have a bad week. I power through those things because I don't want to let anyone down, and knowing that you all enjoy what I write is a great motivator.

And based on how long this chapter is - and the fact that I didn't keep anyone else waiting for the Hinata pregnancy reveal - I'm expecting a TON of reviews for this one. Am I being greedy? Yeah, probably. But why not go for broke, I always say!

So take some time and leave me a review, because there's no better way to say 'thank you, I appreciate the time you take out of your life to write this interesting piece of work' than seeing those words of encouragement fill my email inbox. And as I mention every chapter, the more reviews you leave the faster the next chapter gets out.

That's all for now. Take care and stay safe.

Serious Sam


	23. Ch 22: The Start of Something Big

22\. The Start of Something Big

**_Time passes. Yesterday has gone forever but tomorrow never comes. Let's make the most of today. - Robert Ashby_**

Hello to all! I present to you chapter 22, and I apologize about getting this chapter out so late, but I had a serious case of writer's block and OCD with this one. And I know it's smaller than the previous chapter, but I wanted more normal sized chapters going forward. The last one took a lot out of me with how big it was, and it made it more difficult to write - considering how obsessive I am about things.

As always, I'd like to thank fellow author **Titokhan** for helping me out, as well as my anonymous beta for his continued efforts and support. I appreciate you both keeping me on the straight and narrow.

Also, a HUGE amount of appreciation to fellow author **gigiree123** who I offered to beta read this chapter as a favor for allowing me to help with the latest chapter of **A Reluctant Return.** This was done while doing clinic work at an orphanage in Mexico. You are a shining example of what humanity should aspire to be - thank you so much!

Only a few shout-outs to give this chapter - guess my readers are running out of ideas to suggest! Seriously though - everyone should know that great ideas can come from anywhere, and if you have one don't be afraid to send me a private message. If I use it, you'll get full credit!

A BIG thank you to **MattWilson83** for drawing Hinata (in two poses) in the lingerie from last chapter. He stepped up and did this because I didn't get anyone else from DeviantArt to bite on doing it for me. Head over to his Tumblr account to check it out - just google *mc-studiox tumblr* and you'll find it in the Matt Cave.

Also, **MattWilson83** gets credit for the placement and general outline of where Freyja placed her hitai-ate and how she handles it. Wicked suggestion, Matt! Thank you!

**Hektols:** The part of the upcoming conversation with Freyja where she says she's a genin and the idea about getting promoted were his idea. Another stroke of genius! And if you haven't checked it out, his story **New Chance** is one of the more followed and reviewed stories on this site. Give it a read if you haven't done so already!

_(Note: The above two paragraphs were changed from the original release of this chapter. I screwed up and got the credit for the ideas wrong for both _**_Hektols_**_ and _**_MattWilson83_**_. They both pointed out my mistake - and rather nicely, I might add - so I went back in and fixed it. My apologies, gentlemen - and I'll be more careful in the future.)_

There is also a small part in the section with Kakashi that was inspired by KingKakashi and his story **Naruto vs. Sasuke The Aftermath**. I've recommended it before, and it's one of my favorite stories on this site. If you haven't read it, you don't know what you're missing!

I would like to mention that I DO have other ideas from my readers in the vault, but I'll give thanks when I actually use them. No sense in tipping people off as to what's going to happen!

This chapter is dedicated to the following people:

**Nube de Cristal** for leaving me a review, and being so kind in letting me adopt this story and allowing me to be so creative with the plot and characters. I'm eternally grateful to you and your generosity!

**Percy zoe and artemis fan** who gave me the most reviews last chapter. Thank you!

**Lu Lu-Chan25 and her story Change is Good Right?**

And **Chewie Cookies** for all the great stories he writes.

I'm also dedicating this chapter to comedian **John Pinette,** who died a few weeks ago at the age of 50. I had tickets to go see him next month, which puts this little episode on my 'life sucks sometimes' list. I'm glad I got to see him on stage two years ago. I say nay nay!

So here's this chapter's disclaimer. You may not know the movie, and it might be a bit obscure but I think this is the funniest quote in the whole thing by far:

**_Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto. And you said you wanted to show me your amplifiers, because there's something special about them?_**

**_Marty – Yes, I did. You see the knobs on these amps? They all go up to eleven._**

**_Disclaimer – Oh, I see. And most amps only go up to ten?_**

**_Marty – Exactly._**

**_Disclaimer – Does that mean the music is louder? Is it any louder?_**

**_Marty – Well, it's one louder, isn't it? It's not ten. Most people will be playing at ten, but when we're playing and we need that extra push over the cliff, you know what we do? We put it up to eleven._**

**_Disclaimer – Why don't you just make ten louder, and then make ten the top number? Then ten will be the loudest setting._**

**_Marty – [Pause]. That doesn't make any sense. These amps go to eleven. (+1 if you get the reference)._**

* * *

Chapter 22 – The Start of Something Big

Hiashi emerged from the office still chuckling and walked over to Mina's desk, the smirk from before present once again on his lips.

"I barged past you earlier without asking your name. Would you mind telling me what it is?" Hiashi asked.

"It's Mina, Hiashi-sama." Mina said, a bit intimidated at being around the Hyūga clan head.

"Mina, I'd like you to do something for me. When I leave, please bring a pitcher of cold water into the Hokage's office. You'll know what to do with it when you get there."

Mina watched Hiashi walk away, confused at the odd sight she'd just witnessed. From everything she'd heard Hiashi Hyūga was a cold, calculating and oftentimes unemotional human being, but the person she'd just seen actually hadn't been that bad.

She grabbed a nearby pitcher that was used to water plants in the waiting area and filled it with cold water, just as Hiashi had instructed. Once done, she went back to the Hokage's office and tentatively knocked on the door.

"Hokage-sama?" she asked hesitantly, not wanting to intrude on anything private the Hokage might be working on. "Hiashi-sama asked me to bring you a pitcher of water." When she didn't get an answer, she turned the doorknob and opened the door slowly. "Hokage-sama? Are you in here?"

She peeked into the office, and was a bit taken aback to find it empty. But she knew it wasn't; Hiashi wouldn't have asked her to bring a pitcher of water in here for no reason. She looked around, and noticed that where the Hokage's chair should be there were two feet sticking in the air. And they weren't moving.

"Hokage-sama?" she asked again, walking hurriedly over to look behind the desk. She saw Naruto lying on the floor, his eyes rolled back into his head and a look of absolute bliss on his face. It was obvious to her that he'd fainted, and now she knew what the pitcher of water was for. Smiling, Mina upended it all over Naruto's face and chest.

The effect was immediate. Naruto jerked and sat up suddenly, sputtering and coughing to get the water out of his lungs. He looked over his shoulder and spotted Mina, who was still standing there with an empty pitcher in her hand.

"Mina?" Naruto asked, looking confused and disoriented. "What…What happened? Why'd you pour water on my face?"

Mina took on a slightly embarrassed look and said, "Well…Hiashi-sama asked me to bring a pitcher of water into your office. He said I'd know what to do with it when I got in here, and when I noticed that you were passed out on the floor, I used it to wake you up."

He absently stared at her for a few seconds, water dripping from his face. Then the memories came rushing back and his eyes grew wide. "I'm gonna be a dad." he almost whispered.

Now it was Mina's turn to be confused. "Excuse me Hokage-sama, but aren't you one already? Hikaru is your son, if I'm not mistaken."

"No, you've got it all wrong!" Naruto said excitedly. He scrambled to his feet pointed towards the Hokage monument. "Look!"

Through the window, Mina could see Naruto's face on the Hokage Monument, with the words **_'WE'RE PREGNANT!'_** painted above his head in bold black letters.

"We're pregnant! I mean, Hinata's pregnant! I'm gonna be a dad again!" he yelled, whooping and hollering in delight as he ran around the room, pumping his fist in the air like a little kid. Mina laughed at his antics; slightly embarrassed at the sight but happy for the elated Hokage.

"I'm taking the rest of the morning off. If there's an emergency, send one of the ANBU to find me but I want to spend a few hours with my wife."

Not wanting to wait another second to see her, Naruto fixated on the Hiraishin seal that was inscribed on the inside of Hinata's ring and vanished in a flash of yellow light.

* * *

Across town, Hinata was sitting with Freyja at a table outside of her favorite tea house. Since Freyja was now a kunoichi of Konoha – as well as still living in their house for the time being – she thought it might be a good idea to get to know someone who knew a bit about the life Naruto had led for the almost eight years he was gone from the village.

As for Freyja, she accepted the fact that she was now tied down to Konoha, but decided that it wouldn't stop her from being herself. Naruto had asked her to display the hitai-ate she received in a prominent place so she did just that, wearing it right below her cleavage, across the front of her breasts.

It might be crude and unconventional, but it also had its benefits…

**_***Flashback – Lunch, Two Days Ago***_**

_"Are you staring at my tits?" Freyja asked the waiter accusingly._

_"Uh, no! No, ma'am! I was just noticing your…hitai-ate." the waiter said, petrified that she'd caught him staring._

_"You mean the hitai-ate that you've seen a million times on every other shinobi of this village? What's so special about mine that you have to stare at it? Or is it my tits that you think are special?"_

_"No, ma'am! I swear I wasn't staring at your…umm, you know…"_

_"Oh, so you _**_don't_**_ think they're special?" she asked curiously, slowly pulling a kunai out of her pouch and casually pretending to clean her nails with it._

_"Well…I guess they are, but…"_

_"Ha! So you _**_WERE_**_ staring at them!" she said, pointing the kunai accusingly at the waiter. "_**_PERVERT!_**_"_

_"I'm not a pervert! I'm just trying to take your order! You're insane! GAAH! Please don't kill me!" he shouted, running away from the table in fright._

**_***End Flashback***_**

The scene had repeated itself a few times in the last week, and Freyja laughed her ass off every single time. Moments like that were great stress relievers and right now, she had a shitload of stress in her life. She always had the option of taking out her frustrations on one of the training grounds instead, but damn if she didn't think this way was a lot more fun.

"So Freyja, how are you enjoying being a kunoichi of Konoha?" Hinata asked politely.

Freyja grunted. "Frankly, it sucks so far. That Shinobi Management Office decided to make me a genin, since I really don't have an official rank in any village. Gabriel's kept me from getting any of the real shit duties like painting houses and stuff, but that hasn't stopped him from making me supervise the brats that actually have to do it."

"Maybe you can talk with Naruto-kun about that. I'm sure if you set up a spar with one of the jōnin in the village and performed well, the council would have no choice but to use a special exception and promote you." Hinata offered helpfully.

"Yeah, that's not a bad idea. Maybe I can fight the scarecrow, since he's been following me around the village since Gabriel got back and probably won't stop unless he gets a good ass-whipping."

Hinata seemed surprised at that. "Kakashi-sensei's been following you around? How do you know?"

"I can sense him." she said, jerking her thumb over her left shoulder. "He's about two blocks over on one of the rooftops. I'm just wondering why the hell he's been doing it."

A slight smile played across her face as Hinata sipped her tea. "Maybe he likes you, Freyja. What he's doing sounds very much like how I was with Naruto-kun when we were younger, and he's probably afraid to talk to you. You **CAN** be quite intimidating, you know."

"That's by design, Hinata. I don't give myself up to just anyone. I only offer my body and my respect to someone who can beat me in a fight. So far, that's been all of two people…and Gabriel was one of them." Freyja snorted. "Shocked the hell out of me when he turned me down, though."

_And you have no idea how grateful I am for that_, Hinata thought. "Well, Kakashi-sensei **IS** pretty strong. There's a reason why he was the Hokage of Konoha before Naruto-kun. Give him a chance, Freyja. He just might surprise you."

Freyja took a sip of her tea and then stared into the cup, watching the ripples flow across the surface. After a few seconds, one corner of her mouth turned up in a sad smile. "No offense Hinata, but people in my organization are on a whole other level than the Kage of the five nations. And your husband ranks among the strongest of us all."

The words, and the way Freyja said them had two effects on Hinata. First, she was overjoyed that the man she loved since she was little – and who she was now married to and carrying his child – was so powerful. She'd always known Naruto was special, and Freyja just proved it.

And second, she was frightened that there were people out there who made the power of the Kage seem minor by comparison.

Just as she was about to ask another question, she felt an overwhelming wave of euphoria come through the seal. She smiled happily at Freyja and said, "It appears that Naruto-kun just saw the message I had Hikaru leave for him on the Hokage Monument."

"Really? How can you tell?"

Hinata held out her right hand and pushed some chakra into it, making the seal visible and showing it to Freyja. "You probably recognize this. Naruto-kun gave it to me the night before we got married."

The tea was halfway to her mouth when Freyja froze; her eyes staring blankly at the seal. She set the cup down and pulled Hinata's hand forward, in order to examine it more closely.

Hinata was a bit taken aback by this but kept pushing chakra into the seal, wanting to know why Freyja was suddenly so curious about something she should have already seen before.

After half a minute of tracing her finger over several specific symbols, Freyja raised her face and gave Hinata a surprised look, before letting go of her hand. "You must **really** be special to Gabriel for him to do **this** version of the seal with you."

"This…This version of the seal?" Hinata asked curiously. "What are you talking about?"

Freyja sipped her tea again, then furrowed her brow and sighed heavily. "You know those tattoos I have on my body? The same ones Gabriel has on his arms?"

Hinata nodded her head.

"They're the most basic forms of that seal you have. We use them to communicate with other members while on missions, but they only allow a few things, like keeping track of each other and alerting us if someone is in danger. Saladin can also use them to summon us, but even then the range is limited. He can probably reach the east end of Suna, but the rest of us can only make it work around a five or six mile radius at best. He says it's because he's more in tune with it than everyone else."

"Now the version you have? The range is unlimited because you actually give a piece of your soul to the other person. You know how certain animals mate for life? This kinda works like that, however the two of you are bound by something stronger than just emotions." The tone of Freyja's voice turned bittersweet. "But like it always does, something that powerful comes with a price."

"A price? What do you mean?" Hinata asked apprehensively.

Freyja gave another sigh, but this one seemed much heavier. "The piece of your soul you give to the other person? If they die, that piece – along with the one you hold – dies as well. You…basically live the rest of your life with an emptiness inside you. You can still interact with other people, but you'll never find anyone else who'll fill that gap and make you…for lack of a better word, whole."

Freyja stared off into the distance. "There's only one other person I know that had your version of the seal, and that's Saladin. He and his wife had them and when she died – he doesn't talk about it and members know better than to ask – he went into seclusion from most of the world. Some of us think that's the reason why he created our organization…to keep whatever happened to her from ever happening to anyone else."

"So I guess what I'm saying is that…Gabriel loves you. And there will never be anyone else for him **but** you." She shrugged her shoulders and took another drink of her tea before finishing, "I just hope you feel the same way about him."

Hinata stared at the seal for a few seconds more, finally realizing the significance of what Naruto had given her all those months ago. She let it fade and placed the hand over her heart, oddly reminiscent of the day when he'd left the village for two months and a radiant smile appeared on her face. "Yes, Freyja. I've loved Naruto-kun since I was little, and I'll never stop loving him. He's the only one I've ever wanted, or ever will. And I'm overjoyed to know that he's given me his heart and soul, because he's always had mine."

_Freyja wondered if she'd ever feel the same way about someone that Hinata did. According to Reira, that's only if I find the man whose chakra feels like comfortable shoes, she thought. And what're the odds of something like that happening?_

Hinata saw the depressed look on Freyja's face and quickly decided to change the subject. "Freyja, I've been meaning to ask – how's Reira enjoying school? I know she has to go now that you're a citizen of Konoha, but I'm curious if she likes her classes, or her classmates."

"Yeah, she seems to like both. At the very least, it gets her out of the house so she can focus on something else besides 'Hikaru-kun' and how 'special' his chakra is."

Just as Hinata was about to ask what she meant by that, two things happened in a fraction of a second. Naruto suddenly appeared next to the table, soaking wet from the waist up – and Freyja had drawn a kunai as a defensive reflex, and was holding it against his throat.

Hinata had never seen anyone move as fast as Freyja just did in her entire life. And it made her earlier statement about the Mienai Segi that much more believable…

"Jeez Gabriel, what's wrong with you? You know better than to startle me like that." she said accusingly, putting the kunai away. "And why the hell do you look like you just put your clothes on after taking a shower?"

But he wasn't listening to her, or even looking at her for that matter. There was only one person he was interested in at the moment, and he stared at her, his eyes full of wonder and amazement while Hinata stared back, her eyes filled with undying love for her husband. A tidal wave of happiness and joy washed over each of them, the seal feeling as if it would almost burst from the force of the emotions being pushed through it.

Both were oblivious to the world around them. Their eyes remained locked, even as Naruto fell to his knees in front of her and his left hand slowly reached out, gently coming to rest on her stomach. The corners of his mouth had turned up in a small smile.

"When?" he asked, conveying so much meaning with one simple word.

Hinata smiled warmly back at him. "Yesterday. I noticed a tiny fluctuation in my chakra with my Byakugan, so I went to the hospital for a checkup. They confirmed I'm pregnant, and I'm due in early October."

_That's around my birthday_, he thought absently. His gaze dropped, and for a few seconds he watched his hand absently caress her stomach. A thought came to mind and he asked, "Is…Is that the reason why you've been so…umm, energetic lately?"

Hinata chuckled softly. "Well, partially. I had many nights to think about this while you were away, and I…I wanted to give you the experience of raising a child from the beginning. It was just a happy coincidence that when you came home, it happened to be three days before my ideal time to become pregnant, and I…I didn't want to let the opportunity pass us by." Hinata blushed a bit and added, "Although, I did enjoy the process very much."

His gaze traveled back up to meet hers, but his hand never left her stomach. His other hand came up to trace the outline of her jaw and as it always did, he was amazed at how pale and smooth her skin was. It reminded him of a china doll, except she was anything but fragile. She literally took his breath away, and he often wondered how someone so beautiful and perfect could ever love someone as flawed as he was. He cupped the back of her neck and brought her lips forward to meet his in a tender, loving kiss.

"Kami, there's enough sugar here to put anyone in a diabetic coma." Freyja said tartly, slapping some money down on the table. "I think I'll get going before I vomit."

Naruto and Hinata continued kissing, barely noticing Freyja as she walked off. As their lips finally parted, Naruto pressed his forehead against hers and said, "I love you, Hinata-hime. And thank you. For everything."

"I love you too, Naruto-kun. And there's no need to thank me, because you deserve this. You've given me more than I ever dreamed possible, and I thank Kami every day for bringing you back into my life."

They remained that way for another minute, enjoying the moment and everything that came with it. But then her curiosity flared, as she remembered what Freyja had asked only a few minutes earlier.

"Naruto-kun?"

"Yes, Hinata-hime?"

"I…I just realized that you never answered Freyja's question. Why is the top half of your body soaking wet?"

Naruto smirked, thinking about his meeting with Hiashi earlier that morning and how it had ended. He gave a short laugh before saying wryly, "Well…you know how people say that couples start to take on each other's quirks after they've been together awhile? This morning in a meeting with your father, I impersonated you so well that I'm willing to bet even HE was impressed."

* * *

The two of them spent the next few hours sitting on top of Naruto's head on the Hokage Monument; right below the words Hikaru had painted for his mother to let everyone know she was pregnant. Naruto had his back was against the mountain, and his arms wrapped protectively around Hinata as she snuggled against his chest, the rays from the midday sun warming them both.

Every so often she would sigh contentedly, reveling in the moment. There wasn't another time in her life she could remember being so happy, and as she listened to the steady rhythm of her husband's heartbeat, the mistakes she'd made over the last few months and the trouble they'd caused all seemed to fade into the background. Her every thought centered on him, and what he meant to her.

_Naruto was here, holding her in his powerful arms. They were married, with a son they loved and another child on the way. He was the Hokage, the most influential person in the entire village. And from what Freyja had said, he'd willingly given up a part of his soul for her, essentially binding their lives together forever._

There were no words to describe how absolutely perfect the moment was…and she wished it would never end.

But then Naruto apologized, saying he had to get back to work. Kumo was sending a delegation to Konoha, wanting to congratulate him on being named Hokage and they were due in the village that afternoon. It would be extremely rude not to be at the front gates to welcome them. But he promised to be home as soon as possible, and he playfully reminded her that he never breaks a promise.

Besides, he said to her…he still needed to have a talk with Hikaru about something private. Hinata scrunched her face worriedly, telling him that she was the one who asked Hikaru to write the words on the Hokage Monument and she would accept full responsibility for his actions. Laughing, he assured her that he wasn't upset about that, and was so elated that he planned to leave the announcement up for at least another week. He simply said the topic of discussion would be more of a father/son thing.

And so, despite her pout of disappointment, he used the Hiraishin no Jutsu to take her home before returning to the Hokage's office for the rest of the day. Freyja was already there, and Hikaru and Reira came home around three o'clock but it still wasn't enough. Because even though the house was filled with people, it still felt lonely without the one person Hinata most wanted to see.

.

.

As great a morning as Naruto had experienced, the afternoon had been that much worse – or at least it seemed that way, probably because he was eager to get home and the day stretched far longer than he'd wanted.

The delegation from Kumo was delayed almost two hours, and then several merchants had been caught trying to smuggle goods into Konoha to avoid paying import tariffs. To make matters worse, they were actually weapons which worried Naruto enough that he confiscated the entire shipment until he could talk with Shikamaru the following day, and develop a strategy to find out not only where they came from, but who the potential buyer in the village might be.

Finally, right before he was planning on leaving for the day Ibiki Morino had shown up in his office with information that had been 'volunteered' by several prisoners the ANBU border patrol had apprehended near Amegakure while he was visiting Suna. It wasn't much, but apparently there was a growing renegade faction in some of the outlying villages in Earth Country that Ibiki felt should be investigated further.

And if there's one thing Naruto learned during all those months of Hokage training, it's that when Ibiki Morino thought something was serious enough to warrant further investigation, you didn't question it. So he sent three of his best ANBU to gather additional information, hoping they could bring back something – or someone – who would provide them with additional insight.

By the time he got back to the house it was pushing seven o'clock and he'd missed dinner, which was a real shame since Hinata had gone out of her way to cook something special for him. But as hungry as he was, and as much as he wanted to try the food Hinata had made, he decided to talk to Hikaru first since he had classes tomorrow. Plus, he needed to make sure Hikaru didn't pull another prank on Hiashi tonight.

He walked upstairs to Hikaru's room, noticing that the light was on and the door was open just a crack. Peering in, he was surprised to find his son sitting at his desk, making notes from a couple of books that were open in front of him. More books and scrolls were stacked on the floor, and a large drawing that went almost end to end was spread out across the top.

Wondering what could possibly be THAT interesting to an almost nine year old boy, he knocked on the door frame. He watched as Hikaru flinched in surprise at the sound, and then began scrambling around his desk, shoving the papers into one of the drawers as fast as he could.

_Yeah, that isn't suspicious in the least._ He opened the door just as Hikaru finished cramming the papers into the drawer and slamming it shut, before spinning around to see Naruto standing in his room.

"Dad! Hey! Umm…glad you're back! How was Suna?" Hikaru said with feigned innocence.

"Suna was fine, thank you very much. It was hot and dry, and I'm glad to be home for a number of reasons. But that's not why I'm here right now." Naruto closed the door and walked over to sit on the bed, since there were no other chairs in the room. "You and I need to have a little talk."

"Uh, sure Dad. What about?" Hikaru asked, his eyes darting around nervously.

_Wow. I know I'm not good at lying, but even I'm impressed with how bad that attempt actually was. Naruto thought. I'll get to whatever he was hiding in a minute, but I need to address the Hiashi situation first._

"I'm talking about your late night excursions to the Hyūga compound, and disguising yourself using the Sexy Jutsu your Uncle Konohamaru taught you. Ring a bell?"

"Er, no! I didn't…I mean, I don't…" Realizing he was failing miserably at lying and that if he continued it would only make things worse, he slumped his shoulders in defeat. "How'd you find out?"

Naruto looked smugly at his son. "Your grandfather showed up at my office today with hair stuck to his palms." He snorted once in laughter. "Not a very creative prank and rather childish, but I'd still give it an eight out of ten on the funny scale. It wasn't hard to put two and two together after he explained to me what's been going on, and figure out you were behind it all."

Hikaru gave his father a hard stare and crossed his arms in front of his chest defiantly. "I'm not sorry about what I did. He apologized to mom because he felt bad about things, but he still doesn't think I'm family only because mom didn't give birth to me. That's a stupid reason as far as I'm concerned, and I should be getting an apology as well."

"And that's the only reason why your punishment will be mild, and not severe. As far as the rest, you probably won't get an apology from Hiashi, but give it a few days and I'm pretty sure you'll get what you wanted in the first place." Naruto leaned forward and his eyes bored into Hikaru's. "But as of now, you're going to stop pranking your grandfather. I'll keep what you've been doing just between you and me, but if I find out you've pulled even one more prank, I'll have no choice but to tell your mother what you've been up to. And if that happens, we both know your mom's smart enough to figure out I've been keeping this a secret and she'll punish both of us. I'd like to avoid that if at all possible."

Hikaru nodded solemnly, but still couldn't help but wonder about what his father just said. He knew why **HE** was afraid of his mother and her punishments, but it was simply staggering to him that his father – who, if the stories and rumors were true was one of the strongest shinobi in the entire elemental nations – was **THAT** afraid of his mother as well.

_It's gotta be something that happens when you get older, he reasoned to himself. If only there was someone I could ask about it without being too obvious…_

"Now, how about we discuss what you just finished hiding when I walked into the room?"

Hikaru was broken out of his musings when he heard the question, and the color drained from his face. His eyes went wide in fright and he stammered, "I... You… I didn't… I don't… I mean, what…"

"Every minute you keep avoiding the question, I'll double your punishment." Naruto said candidly. "Now, let's try this again. What exactly were you stuffing in your desk drawer just as I walked into your room?"

Hikaru was caught and he knew it. And if he tried to lie his way out of it, there's no telling what sort of horrible things his father could punish him with, since he was the Hokage and could make almost anything happen. Still pale as a sheet, he pulled out the stacks of paper and spread them out across the top of his desk, his hands trembling with every movement.

Naruto glanced over Hikaru's shoulder. The papers were filled with notes, theories, diagrams and drawings all relating to fūinjutsu. He shuffled through them, amazed at the level of detail shown and how the symbols seemed to effortlessly flow together. Naruto knew he was no novice, but he couldn't even come close to matching the skill level being displayed here, and it was clear from looking at them that Kakashi wasn't exaggerating when he said that Hikaru was a fūinjutsu prodigy.

But there was still something missing. "I also saw a large drawing that went across the entire length of your desk. Where's that?"

Hikaru hesitated for a moment and then reached back into his drawer, pulling out the item in question and unrolling it across the top.

Naruto was stunned, and his mouth hung open like a fish out of water. There in front of him was a large scale recreation of the caged bird seal used by the Hyūga clan – every stroke; every symbol was visible, down to the most minuscule detail. He stretched out his hand and traced his fingertips along the lines, amazed at what he was seeing.

"Hikaru, this…this is absolutely incredible." he said, astonished. No one had ever been able to reconstruct one of the most closely guarded, complex seals in the elemental nations before. _Closely guarded…_

Something clicked in his brain and he asked, "Where…Where did you get the data to make this? As far as I know, no one in the Hyūga clan has the design for this seal – it's been lost for generations. So how'd you happen to get it?"

After another moment's hesitation, Hikaru reached into his bottom drawer and pulled out two more things – a high powered microscope, and the brand used by the Hyūga clan to apply the caged bird seal.

Naruto stared at the object, his eyes wide in shock and his mouth agape. "Hikaru! Is that what I think it is?" Naruto asked incredulously. "Did you steal that from Hiashi's office?"

Hikaru could only nod mutely.

"Do you have any idea how serious this is? How much trouble you're in right now? At the very least, if your grandfather wanted to he could have you banned from being a ninja for life, and I wouldn't be able to do a thing to stop him!"

"I know Dad, I know!" Hikaru shouted defiantly. "But I had a very good reason for taking it, I swear!"

Naruto crossed his arms in front of his chest. "I'll give you one chance to explain yourself, young man. And you'd better make it good."

Hikaru sighed heavily and looked at his father, his eyes pleading for understanding. "You know that Aunt Tenten is pregnant, right?"

Naruto nodded at his son. "Yes. I found that out last week."

"Well, Uncle Neji is part of the branch house. And since Aunt Tenten isn't a Hyūga by birth, what do you think's gonna happen to their baby when it's born?"

Naruto pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration, angry that he'd missed something so obvious. Now he knew exactly what Neji was hinting at last week when he asked that the information be kept confidential. "He or she will be branded, just like Neji."

"You got it." Hikaru said boldly. He could tell by the look on his father's face that he'd hooked his curiosity, so he pressed forward with his explanation, hoping it was enough. "So I figured if I could find a way to remove the caged bird seal, not only would their kid be safe but it would help out Uncle Neji as well. But I needed to see the seal up close, which meant that I would've had to ask someone with the seal already in place for help. I'm trying to make this a surprise for Uncle Neji's birthday, and other than him I don't know who else I can trust, which left me with only one option, and that's taking the brand from ojii-san's office."

Naruto was embarrassed, angry and impressed all at the same time. Hikaru might act a lot like Naruto did when he was younger, but he was obviously a lot smarter. And Hikaru was right about the fact that this little project of his was far above S-rank, because if several of the Hyūga elders found out he was working on a way to remove the caged bird seal, Hikaru's life – and possibly other people living in the house – would be in danger, and he knew the Hyūga clan wouldn't be stupid enough to leave evidence behind tracing it back to them. The only flaw in the whole plan was not involving Neji, but Hikaru even had a somewhat plausible explanation for that.

However, he realized he might be able to turn this to his advantage. He remembered his promise to Neji all those years ago at the chūnin exams to end the use of the caged bird seal, and if he convinced Hiashi to retire in order to spend more time with his grandchildren and name Neji the new clan head, then Neji would be able to abolish the use of the caged bird seal once and for all, uniting both houses – and Naruto would be there to support him.

Naruto created a shadow clone and sent it out of the room, before looking gravely at his son. "You're lucky you gave me a decent enough reason for what you did, Hikaru. And while I'm not happy as to how you went about it, you were right that what you're doing is above an S-rank secret. But it doesn't mean I'm going to let you off scot-free. So tonight, you will sneak back into the Hyūga compound one last time and put the brand for the caged bird seal back where you found it, before anyone notices it's missing. And you won't do any pranks, other than using the Sexy Jutsu to disguise yourself. Understand?"

"Yes, Dad." Hikaru said timidly.

At that point, the shadow clone came back into the room carrying a chair. He set it down and disappeared in a cloud of smoke, before Naruto moved the chair over to the desk and sat down next to Hikaru.

"Okay, now tell me what you've found out." Naruto said bluntly.

Hikaru let out a nervous breath he didn't even know he'd been holding and began to explain. "The reason why no one's been able to see how the seal is constructed is because they weren't looking close enough. If you see it on someone's forehead, it just looks like two lines and a Manji." He pointed towards the microscope sitting on his desk. "But if you look at it through this, you see that it's actually made up of hundreds of tiny seals that flow together so well, it gives the illusion of being something simple, but really isn't. That's why I had to make this drawing so big – it's so I could see everything that went into making it up."

He pointed to the lines on either side of the Manji and said, "These two groups here are what protect the Byakugan from being stolen, but the problem is that it only works if the person dies. Whoever did this was probably more interested in controlling the branch house rather than protecting the Byakugan, because there's several ways around it. You could just knock someone out and surgically remove their eyes, for example."

"Now, this…" he continued, pointing towards the Manji in the middle, "…is the part that the main house uses to control the branch members. It really doesn't have a name, but I call it an Infinity Loop. From what I can tell, the entire seal is charged with chakra when it's applied to the clan member's forehead, and it's sustained by siphoning off a really, really small trickle of that person's chakra for the rest of their life – I'd be surprised if someone with the Byakugan could even notice it – which is why when they die, the seal disappears. When it's activated, it takes the stored up chakra and amplifies it over and over again. The amount of pain it causes increases each time it goes through the loop, until it gets to the point where it's so severe, the person dies from it. It's kind of like someone boring through your skull with a drill."

"The way the seal matrix is set up is pretty tricky – if you mess with it from almost any angle it'll activate and kill the person who's wearing it. That leaves only four points where you could possibly drive a wedge, and that's here…" He pointed to the four curved ends of the Manji, "…where you see these infinity symbols, surrounded by the boar, snake, tiger and dragon seals."

Hikaru rubbed his forehead in frustration. "I'm thinking that if I can find some way to crack one of those symbols and suck out the chakra, the caged bird seal will collapse and just fall apart." He gestured towards the stacks of books and scrolls surrounding his desk. "But there was nothing in any of those that helped. And the bigger problem is that if I actually DO find a way to break one of those symbols, it'll activate the seal and since the gap will be so small, it'll kill the person before I can get the chakra out and make the seal collapse."

He slammed his hand down on the desk, his frustration boiling over. "And that's the problem, Dad! I've got no way to test anything out, because if I'm wrong – even a little bit – someone could die! And Uncle Neji is counting on me, even if he doesn't know it… and so's their baby… and… and…"

Naruto could see that his son was on the brink of having a panic attack. He reached out to grab his shoulder, trying to give Hikaru a point to focus on. "Calm down and take some deep breaths before you start hyperventilating, Hikaru. I can tell how important this is to you, and I'm very proud of the fact that you've taken it upon yourself to try and help your aunt and uncle with their problem. Besides, you've gotten farther on this than anyone I've ever heard of – that's very impressive, especially for someone who'll be nine years old in a couple of months."

He looked slyly out of the corner of his eye at Hikaru. "But I think if we play our cards right, we can spin this to our advantage."

Hikaru knit his brows in confusion. "What do you mean 'we'? And what advantage are you talking about?"

"Well, I know your mom told you about how I fought Uncle Neji in the chūnin exams a long time ago. But what you probably don't know is that I promised him that day to stop the Hyūga clan from using the caged bird seal once I became Hokage. And between the two of us, I just thought of a plan to make it all happen."

Hikaru perked up a bit upon hearing that. His father had a plan? And he wanted **HIS** help? However, before he could what the plan was or get any of the details, his father decided to mete out his punishment.

"Hikaru Uzumaki Namikaze," Naruto said with an air of authority, "Despite your good intentions, you took a clan artifact from the Hyūga compound without permission. And even though he probably deserved most of it, you also constantly belittled and humiliated Hiashi Hyūga, the leader of that clan. You need to accept responsibility for your actions – even though you're my son, I'm the Hokage and I can't just let something like this slide."

Naruto smiled impishly. "So, my decision on your punishment is that every day, for a minimum of at least two hours you'll continue to work on finding a way to **safely** remove the caged bird seal. And as much as I can, I'll help you out – because even though I've got a decent grasp on fūinjutsu myself, I'm thinking you can teach me a thing or two – since you're way better at it than I am."

"Your punishment will end when either Neji's birthday gets here in six months, or you figure out a solution that's safe." Naruto stuck out his hand and asked, "Is that a deal?"

Hikaru realized it was the best he could hope for under the circumstances. He'd have to spend at least a few hours a day working on cracking the caged bird seal – which in truth he would have done anyway – but that also probably meant no trips to the park. No fun time just for himself. And no extra training with his friends, his father or Hokage-sensei. Or was it Former Hokage-sensei now? He wasn't sure which one it was.

But his Uncle Neji was counting on him. His father needed his help with whatever his plan was – plus, he'd promised himself that he'd find a way to remove the caged bird seal. And since he'd adopted his father's nindō, that meant he never gave up, and never went back on his word. He wanted to protect his precious people, just like his father. And he knew this was his chance.

Brimming with anticipation of doing something important for the village and his family, Hikaru smiled and shook his father's hand eagerly. "You got yourself a deal, Dad. And I won't let you or Uncle Neji down. I promise."

Satisfied that he'd given his son enough motivation, along with a punishment that in light of the circumstances seemed very fair – even though it was a bit self-serving – he reached for Hikaru's notes. "Okay. I think we've got about an hour before you need to get going and sneak into the Hyūga compound. So how about we spend that time together doing a little work?"

And for the next hour the two of them did just that, reading notes and discussing ideas. And even though it wasn't for very long and it was technically work, both of them privately enjoyed spending some time together as father and son.

* * *

While this was happening, half a continent away just outside the western border of Suna, a man in a jackal mask was asleep in the branch of a tree. Per the instructions from his Hokage, he'd pushed himself to reach his destination as fast as possible while making sure he went undetected. Exhausted, and with only a day of travel left he'd decided to get some well needed sleep and continue in the morning.

It's too bad every effort he'd made to conceal himself was all for naught, because he'd unknowingly been followed for the past couple of days by two members of the Mienai Segi. They were both extremely skilled at hiding their presence, and they knew that there was only one possible destination in the direction this man was traveling – and that was the cave where Saladin currently lived.

So Jackal couldn't really be blamed for not sensing anyone within miles of his position. There was no trace of chakra, no sound – not even the slightest breeze to alert him when a woman separated herself from the shadows, on the branch right above the ANBU's head.

She was short; barely five feet tall – it was apparent to anyone who saw her that she wasn't built for physical combat, since she looked as if she weighed a hundred pounds at best. Her skin was dark brown, and the centers of her eyes were similar to those of the Hyūga clan – only instead of lavender, hers were solid black.

But anyone who'd heard of the Mienai Segi knew there was a reason why people were admitted. You didn't need physical prowess in order to be considered dangerous.

Her name was Nyx – named after the Goddess of the Night, she was far more proficient at crafting illusions and sculpting minds than anyone in the elemental nations. The skills of both the Yamanaka and Uchiha clans were amateurish when compared to hers, and the thrill she felt when she used them on the unsuspecting or weak minded could almost be described as…sexual.

She reached out and lightly pressed her fingers against the top of Jackyl's head, and almost immediately his body went slack, his arms falling limp against his sides.

"Gilgamesh." she said, the sound of her voice a cross between a cold winter wind and the crackling of dead leaves. "He's unconscious. Come over here and catch him."

The man she'd referenced stepped into the moonlight at the base of the tree. And for everything Nyx wasn't, Gilgamesh was.

Standing six feet ten inches tall, he was a giant hulk of a man that towered over everyone else. His rock hard body looked like it had been sculpted by the finest artisans, every layer of muscle and sinew defined. If one could imagine the living embodiment of an immovable object, it would be him. He was strength personified; brute force made real. And because of an injury many years ago to his throat, he could speak to people in halting responses of only a few words at a time.

He'd been a soldier of fortune in the countries to the west when Saladin had found him, hoping to change his moral compass and make him into something more than just a mindless killing machine. He'd succeeded, but only barely – mainly because behind the scenes, Gideon had exploited that weakness and stoked his fire for bloodlust – and the promise of glorious battle coupled with a warrior's death had been the final push the behemoth of a man needed to change where his loyalties lie.

Nyx gave Jackal a shove and he listed to the side, falling out of the tree. Gilgamesh caught him and set him down, then began rummaging around in the ANBU soldier's pockets. Nyx hopped down to stand beside him on the ground.

"It looks like Gideon's idea of sending us to the western border of wind country to keep an eye out for anyone trying to contact Saladin was a stroke of genius. We've caught a fly in our web. Where'd this juicy little morsel come from?"

With one hand, Gilgamesh pointed at the Jackal mask while the other continued rifling through his pockets. "Konoha."

"Konoha?" Nyx asked, her voice grating. "Isn't that where Gideon sent that idiot Anubis to do a job a few months ago?"

Gilgamesh grunted, agreeing with his associate before pulling a scroll from one of the vest compartments. He broke the wax seal and unrolled it, skimming quickly over the contents.

"Taking on an entire village by himself – especially one in fire country – was pretty egotistical on his part. It looks like Gideon was right when he said Konoha found a way to kill him without too much effort." Nyx grinned, and then cackled sadistically. "Good riddance, anyway – I never really liked that stuck up prick."

Once he was finished, believing that he'd committed the most important pieces of the message to memory Gilgamesh locked eyes with Nyx, his gaze just as cold and piercing as his associate.

"We should leave." he stated, simultaneously rolling up the scroll.

"Leave?" Nyx sneered, her eyes never breaking their stare. "Gideon sent us out here for a reason, Gilgamesh – and we both know disobeying him isn't a good idea. Where exactly would we go?"

"Back to Gideon."

Her derisive look disappeared, only to be replaced by one of mild surprise. "Back…to Gideon? Why? What was so important in that message that you think we need to go back?"

Gilgamesh wiggled the scroll in front of him and simply said, "Gabriel."

Hearing the name was enough to change Nyx's mind in an instant. "Fine – you win. That's one thing Gideon's gonna want to know about as soon as possible." She motioned a finger towards the sleeping ANBU. "What should we do with him?"

"False memories." He said, tapping his right temple suggestively. "Two days."

"Ah." Nyx said, baring her teeth in an evil grin. "Make him THINK he made the journey when he really didn't. Konoha will be none the wiser; and it'll give Gideon time to plot against them. I would have preferred to rend his mind to the point of insanity, but this works much better. Excellent idea."

"Naturally." the man said, a bit more smug than usual.

Rolling her eyes derisively at the man's ego, Nyx once again placed her fingers on top of Jackal's head, sowing the seeds of illusion. It would take about thirty minutes to implant a false memory in the ANBU's head, but after that he'd sleep for two days straight. When he woke up at the base of the tree, he'd think he completed his mission and delivered the message – when of course in reality, none of that had ever happened.

And by then, they'd be well on their way to where Gideon currently was – in the mountains on the border between Amegakure and Iwagakure.

* * *

The following day had started off busy – Shikamaru appeared in his office promptly at nine o'clock, oddly enough eager to get started on his new job. When Naruto asked him why someone who was known as habitually lazy was suddenly so excited about doing actual work, Shikamaru simply replied…

_"If you were me, would you rather be here – or in the Nara compound with my mother and Temari all day?"_

There was no need to discuss the matter further after that, because Naruto knew he'd chosen the lesser of two evils.

Naruto then showed Shikamaru his new office – which happened to be the one Koharu and Homura had used when they were the advisors for Konoha. And while it might sound a bit morbid, he was happy to hear that the two of them had passed away while he was gone for eight years. They'd been well known supporters of Danzō and his militant beliefs, and besides – they'd never been very kind or supportive to him anyway, preferring to see him as a weapon, rather than a person.

Shikamaru thanked him, and then asked for one more thing – a customized Shogi set, with the names of prominent and important people inscribed on the pieces. Since the expense was relatively minor, Naruto approved it and they got down to the business at hand.

They breezed through the last of the paperwork Naruto held onto from the previous day, and then discussed the weapons shipment he'd confiscated. Realizing he couldn't offer a suggestion without additional information, he promised to meet with Ibiki Morino as soon as they were done talking, and have him 'gather' more intel.

The last major issue was the council meeting scheduled for tomorrow, where Naruto was going to try and give the Uchiha compound and clan funds back to Sasuke. After showing him the research notes Mina had put together, Shikamaru agreed that the plan was sound, but felt that it could benefit from some misinformation that was conveniently 'leaked' out into the village – possibly tipping things in his favor with those on the council who were truly ignorant and self-centered.

Naruto agreed and gave Shikamaru the go ahead to do it, since there was no way it could do anything but help his cause. And he liked the odds of Shikamaru's plan succeeding better than anything he could think up.

Needless to say, it worked almost to perfection.

At the council meeting on Wednesday, Naruto made the proposal – reasoning that Sasuke had proven himself many times over since returning to the village, and that his birthright had been kept in the hands of Konoha for far too long. Now that Mikomi had been born, Sasuke needed more space to raise his now expanding clan, as well as have access to the Uchiha clan scrolls and artifacts, so that Mikomi could be properly trained and learn about her ancestry.

As expected, the proposal was defeated by a vote of 11 to 5.

But then a civilian council member, who thought he was more cunning and far smarter than his Hokage, brought up the idea of placing everything into the Konoha Affairs Trust, which was established during Tobirama's time as Hokage to permanently take possession of assets. One example would be a clan where it had been proven beyond a doubt there were no further heirs, and had died out.

The special thing about the Konoha Affairs Trust is that under current law once assets were placed into it, they became permanent property of the Trust – and could never be distributed back out.

And so, a vote was called on the proposal and it had fallen directly down the middle – with the civilian council members voting for it, and the shinobi council voting against it – leaving Naruto as the deciding factor.

And then, grinning like a fox he cast his vote…and surprisingly enough said yes, passing the measure. Everyone on the council was shocked at this – especially Sasuke – until Naruto produced a document, explaining the reason why he voted like he did.

Up until now, the Konoha Affairs Trust had remained empty and unused. But when Tobirama created it, he also gave complete authority and control of all the assets in the Trust to the current Hokage – or whoever he decided could act in his stead as trustee, completely bypassing the village council. What he was waving around was the original document Tobirama had signed many years ago. He'd brought it from the village archives to prove his point – and then promptly put Sasuke in charge, giving the person he considered a brother full control of the trust to use as he wanted, without actually giving him the assets.

The civilian council was furious at having been outsmarted, raising their voices in an uproar and yelling about deceit and trickery – until Naruto raised his killing intent, making everyone go silent instantly. The document was valid, Naruto stated – and being sore losers wasn't going to change the vote, or him appointing Sasuke to manage the assets on his behalf.

And thus began a very long morning for the council. Several proposals were made, but at every turn Naruto outsmarted them, citing obscure laws and provisions. Things Naruto wanted were approved, and any that were selfish or one sided were dismissed. When the meeting was adjourned, Shikamaru could tell from the angry stares and sullen tones of the civilian council members that he was going to have his hands full in his new job.

And with Naruto making good on his promise, Sasuke made good on his and offered Naruto the chance to be Mikomi's godfather – which he gladly accepted. Of course, this led to a very heated exchange between Sasuke and Sakura later that night…

**_***Sidestep***_**

"Why is this bothering you so much?" Sasuke demanded, glaring at his wife. She was angry with him again. Since returning to the village from his mission, he'd been trying to be calm and understanding with Sakura – especially considering what she'd gone through while he was gone, and then with the birth of Mikomi – but today, things had finally hit a boiling point and he decided he wasn't leaving until he got to the bottom of it.

"Because it's HIM! It's always about HIM!" Sakura practically screamed in his direction.

"How do you think this is all about Naruto? I'm only making him Mikomi's godfather, for Kami's sake. It's an extremely small, almost insignificant thing compared to everything he's done for us. Why are you railing against it?"

"Because I don't want him involved in our lives any more than necessary!" Sakura said, as if trying to explain something obvious to a child. "It's OUR marriage, OUR daughter! Things should happen between us because of what WE do for each other, and not because Naruto made it happen. But now you can add getting your clan assets onto to the list of things we owe him for, just like everything else. Good or bad, why can't it be one of us that inspires change for once? Why does it always have to be HIM?"

Sasuke blinked a few times, as he stared at his wife in disbelief. "So let me see if I've got this straight – the main reason you're upset and angry… is because you can't stand the fact that Naruto's been involved in almost every major event in our lives, and you think he's running up a list of things we owe him for?"

"I don't know if he's keeping score or not Sasuke-kun, but that's not the point I'm trying to make. I want to you to be a better person because you love me. I want you to get your clan birthright because it rightfully belongs to you, and you fought for it. I want our family – our REAL family, not what you consider Naruto – to be your first priority. I want…"

"Hold on, Sakura." Sasuke said, interrupting her forcefully. "I just heard you use the words 'I want' four times. What that tells me is that it's not really about Naruto at all, but rather a selfish desire to make everything about YOU. All Naruto has done – all he's EVER done – is try to help us. He's been kind, generous and forgiving – which is far more than we deserve, considering our history with him."

Sasuke's look became stern and unforgiving. "The offer to Naruto about being Mikomi's godfather will stand. But I think it's best for you to find someone to talk with about this – perhaps Lady Tsunade would be a good choice. I care about you very much, Sakura…and I don't know where this self-centered attitude of yours stems from, but it only reminds me of how I used to be. And you need to get rid of it, because I don't think it should be part of our lives going forward."

**_***End Sidestep***_**

* * *

Of course, the drama in the village was far from over. On the other side of Konoha, Kakashi was sitting in a bar, drinking cups of sake while reading one of his favorite Icha Icha novels.

Drinking the sake was the only thing real about the scene – the Icha Icha novel was just for show, because he wasn't really paying attention to the words on the page in front of him. Instead, his thoughts were about the same thing as it had been every other day for almost the past two months – Freyja, and her daughter Reira.

Since the two of them had arrived in the village, they'd been constantly on his mind.

Reira…well, the reason he thought of her so much was because she looked so much like Rin. He held no illusions that she was the reincarnation of his childhood friend – that would be insane, to put it mildly – but it brought up memories of his failure to protect her from Kirigakure.

They'd made her the jinchuuriki of Isobu, the three tailed turtle against her will. And because of that – and her fear of losing control of the beast once they returned to Konoha – she'd jumped in front of his chidori he'd been attacking the Kiri-nin with, impaling her through the heart and killing her almost instantly.

She'd sacrificed herself for the good of Konoha – for the village and the people she loved so much.

Even though it had been many years, he still saw her face in his nightmares. Her final expression haunted him still. He remembered her whispering his name as the last thing she'd ever said. There were more than a few reasons why he visited the Konoha memorial stone every morning, but Rin was by far the first on the list.

He felt grief and sadness for those of his friends he'd lost over the years, but with Rin there was also a layer of guilt on top of that – he'd failed to protect one of his most precious people, and she had paid the price.

Now, Freyja – she was a different story entirely.

He'd never had someone fill his thoughts so much as the former member of the Mienai Segi – probably because she reminded him of every woman he'd ever had romantic feelings for. She was brash and outspoken, like Anko had been. In his opinion, her flawless skin and striking beauty could only be compared to Kurenai.

But while Kurenai's beauty seemed feminine and soft – despite the fact that she was an extremely accomplished and deadly jōnin kunoichi – Freyja's features were more angular and somehow…exotic. She'd cut her teeth among some of the strongest ninja out there, and survived the harshest of conditions. It actually made her more desirable in a way – she was a piece of low hanging fruit he'd been forbidden to touch.

Anko had died before he'd had the chance to ask her out, and Kurenai – well, he'd thought about it on several occasions but somehow, it didn't seem right for him to pursue her…especially after what had happened with Asuma. It would have been too much, too soon – and her giving birth to Asuma's son only cemented his decision as the right one.

Bad things happened to people he got close to in his life. The theory had proven itself time and time again... Rin. Obito. Minato. Yamato. Anko. And even though they hadn't died like the rest, he could still add Naruto and Sasuke to that list. As far as he was concerned, he was doing Kurenai and Asuma Jr. a favor by staying away from them. But somehow, with Freyja those fears didn't matter – the urge to be with her overrode his fear of what might happen to her.

Actually, he didn't know if he was afraid **FOR** her or afraid **OF** her. The line was blurred at this point, mainly because of who Freyja was and her background.

He was a former captain of the ANBU black ops – a legend among their ranks. He was known far and wide throughout the elemental nations for his skills as an elite jōnin, with countless missions and even a war under his belt. He'd been the Rokudaime of Konoha.

And yet, Freyja scared the living shit out of him – and that feeling was only made worse when without warning, a hand slapped some money down on the bar right next to him.

"You and I need to talk. Now." Freyja growled menacingly, as she grabbed his collar and jerked him off the bar stool, dragging him forcefully out of the bar. The action had been so sudden, that the book he was supposedly 'reading' fell out of his hands and onto the counter.

Everyone in the bar watched the scene, dumbfounded at what just happened. The bar was filled with chūnin and jōnin, most of whom were seasoned veterans – and the woman who'd just dragged the former Hokage out of the bar was clearly a genin, but no one had felt or seen her enter the bar in the first place. It didn't make any sense, because something like that should have been above her skill level.

The patrons looked at each other in stunned confusion, before the bartender decided to break the silence.

"I don't care who gets what's left of the sake he bought," he said, reaching his hand out to pick up the book, "but I'm calling first dibs on the Icha Icha novel he dropped."

* * *

Still dragging Kakashi by the scruff of his neck, Freyja pulled him into the nearest alley and shoved him up against the wall, her forearm braced across his chest.

"Why?" she asked, her face inches away from his.

Kakashi sweatdropped. "Umm, why what?"

"Why have you been following me around for the past two weeks?"

Kakashi paled visibly. "You…You knew I was doing that? How could you tell?"

Freyja rolled her eyes, annoyed and a bit insulted. "I can naturally sense people within about a half mile radius – especially when I know their chakra signature, like yours. Most of the time, you were only a couple of blocks away so you weren't that hard to spot."

"Oh." Kakashi was at a loss for words. He was disappointed that he'd been found so easily, especially when he'd put a serious amount of effort into making himself undetectable. But in all honesty, it really wasn't that surprising, considering who he was dealing with.

"So you never answered my question. Why have you been following me around?"

"Er, well…I-I was…you know, umm…wondering if you might…ah, like to – maybe – go out to dinner sometime?" Kakashi asked haltingly.

Freyja narrowed her eyes and gave him an impassive look. "Dinner." she said flatly.

"Uh, yeah. Dinner."

"With you. Like a date."

"S-Sure. L-Like a date." Kakashi stammered, clearly nervous about what he was doing.

Freyja continued to stare at Kakashi, as he squirmed uncomfortably under her gaze. After a minute, she removed her forearm from his chest and took a step back. "Fine. On Friday at noon, I'll meet you at training ground twenty-six."

"Friday? Noon? Training ground twenty-six?" Kakashi parroted, clearly confused. "Uh, there are no restaurants near training ground twenty-six, Freyja. And that's not dinner time, either."

"I'm aware of that, but you know the rules – you want a date? Then you gotta beat me in a fight." An eerie smile suddenly appeared on her face. "Besides, I think I'll take Hinata's advice and make this a two-for-one special. When you talk to Gabriel – and I **know** you will – tell him to provide a couple of impartial judges for the fight. I figure if I beat your ass bad enough, he can use a special exemption and promote me to jōnin. That way I won't have to do any of those shit D-rank missions anymore."

"If I were you, I'd spend all day tomorrow doing some serious training – even though I know it won't make a damn bit of difference." She wiggled her eyebrows at him. "See you Friday, Scarecrow. Don't be late."

And then she vanished…there was no swirl of leaves, no cloud of smoke…nothing. She had simply moved fast enough to disappear instantly from his sight.

Kakashi stared at the spot Freyja had been standing for a solid minute, unmoving as he processed what just happened. Then as the realization finally hit him, his lone visible eye grew wide and he asked himself, "What the fuck did I just get myself into?"

* * *

That night, just after dusk when the shadows stared to lengthen, Nyx and Gilgamesh appeared at the front of a cave that was imbedded in the mountains between Iwagakure and Amegakure. It was an odd sight; the current hideout bore an uncanny resemblance to that of the man Gideon was planning to kill. Torches lined the walls of the tunnel, and after about a hundred yards of walking it opened up into a small alcove, barely thirty feet in diameter. It was sparsely appointed with a desk in one corner, just like the one Saladin occupied – the only difference being that instead of bookshelves filled with scrolls of knowledge, these were filled with intelligence reports and maps.

And sitting behind the desk was the leader of the renegade faction of the Mienai Segi. His heavily muscled frame stood 6' 2" tall. His jet black hair came down just below shoulder length, he wore burnished steel arm and leg bracers - and the color of his eyes was an angry, piercing red.

When Nyx and Gilgamesh walked up to the desk, he stopped what he was doing and stared at his associates – and anyone who'd ever come face to face with Gideon would say that it was the look in his eyes that unnerved them the most.

_Twisted intelligence. Borderline insanity. Controlled madness combined with a massive God complex._ And anyone who questioned his reign of authority was dealt with in the most sadistic manner possible.

"You two were sent to the far end of Suna to keep watch over Saladin's cave, and yet here you stand." Gideon said, his voice deep and resonating with power. "What reason could you possibly have for disobeying me and abandoning your mission?"

Without hesitiation, Nyx stepped forward and firmly slapped the scroll on the desk. "Gilgamesh found this on a messenger from Konoha that was going to see Saladin. He said you should see it as soon as possible."

Gideon picked up the scroll and unrolled it, peering over the top of the document at Nyx. "You've read it?"

"No, Gilgamesh did. He said it has to do with Gabriel." she said, her voice dry and rasping. She knew the mere mention of the name would peak her leader's interest.

Gideon quirked an eyebrow and began to read, quickly scanning the contents. After a few seconds his eyes narrowed, focusing on a specific part that appeared to be more important than the rest. "Well, well, well…" He sneered, "It appears that sacrificing Anubis to see what Konoha is capable of was indeed the correct move. Gabriel has put the village under his protection – and Freyja has decided to join him, forgoing her allegiance to me."

"Freyja is in Konoha as well?" Nyx hissed, bewildered at the statement. She turned to look accusingly at Gilgamesh. "Why didn't you mention that?"

Gilgamesh shrugged indifferently. "You didn't ask."

"That doesn't mean…"

"**QUIET."** Gideon said menacingly, interrupting Nyx and silencing her instantly. "I don't care if you knew about it or not. The fact that we intercepted this information before Saladin could read and benefit from it is the only thing that matters."

He casually rolled up the scroll and placed it on his desk, and then steepled his index fingers in front of his face as his eyes focused on the scroll, digesting what he'd just learned. After a minute, he tapped his lips with his fingers a few times and glared at his associates, coming to a decision.

"Konoha and Suna can no longer be considered viable options for our future base of operations. Due to its status as the strongest of the five major villages, Konoha would have been the most ideal choice but now that Gabriel - and by extension Freyja, since she has taken up residence there – has placed both villages under his protection, the operation only becomes much more difficult. Attacking Konoha right now would thin our ranks, and our first priority – as it always has been – is to eliminate Saladin by any means necessary, since he is the largest impedance to us achieving our goals."

"Our timetable regarding Saladin will have to be stepped up to within the next three months, at maximum. However, once that has been achieved, we can focus our efforts on taking control of one of the other major villages." Gideon's eyes burned with maniacal conviction, as his gaze bored into his two associates. "When that happens, we can use their resources to create an army so powerful, there will be no one – not even Gabriel or that unfaithful bitch, Freyja – who can stop us from ruling the elemental nations."

* * *

A/N: Well, this should give you a setup for what's coming in the next few chapters. Not a lot of hidden innuendo or subplots, unless you count not knowing 'the plan' regarding Neji. But that's not really hard to figure out.

We now have the name and full description of three of the Mienai Segi characters. We know what Hikaru is working on with his fūinjutsu, Hinata is back to her more reserved self (now that she got what she wanted) and Freyja wants to kick Kakashi's ass to instantly make jōnin. I don't know about you guys, but I'm really looking forward to next chapter!

As usual, I'm reminding everyone that Mina Mikon is the OC of MattWilson83. 'Nuff said.

So what's coming next? Well, of course the fight between Kakashi and Freyja. Naruto manipulates things with Hiashi for Neji's benefit. Sakura starts to get help from Tsunade for her 'problem', and Tsunade will also have some interaction with Naruto and Hikaru. Also, be prepared for some dark twists and turns coming up.

**_Recommendation time!_** Once again, I'm trying to continue my theme of paying it forward to stories that don't have that many followers or favorites, despite the fact that the authors are incredible writers and do excellent work. This is one that was recommended by **Ayrmed** (I hope you're feeling better! Please update soon!) and I'm very glad she did. So take some time and check out **Brighter Future by hopeisahorizon**. Very touching story that's NaruHina centric - Hinata has some issues with PTSD that Naruto helps her out with but there's a twist with Neji and then the Hyūga family. There's even a wedding between our favorite couple in chapter 18! It's rated T, so it's a bit more tame but if you like the story, please put the story on your favorite/follow list and leave the author a review. I'm sure she'd appreciate it.

Here's the link, as usual remove the spaces and you know what to replace the stars with:

www . fanfiction . *** / s / 9940022

**REVIEWS!** So, I got over ninety reviews last chapter. That's almost a record - I got a bit more for chapter 14 but I'm very happy for every one that was left, both the good and the bad. I'm certainly hoping to continue that trend with this one. So here's my push, as usual - reviews translate to motivation and dedication for writers to keep going. I know many great stories on this site that never got finished because they lost their will to write.

I always appreciate when people take some time and leave me a review, and I do my best to reply personally to each and every one...although sometimes there are a few that slip through the cracks (sorry about that!). And the same rules apply for this chapter as every other one I've written - the more reviews you leave the faster the next chapter gets out.

That's all for now. Take care and stay safe.

Serious Sam


	24. Ch 23: Relationships

23\. Relationships

**_An object at rest cannot be stopped! – Evil Midnight Bomber What Bombs At Midnight_**

Hello to all! I present to you Chapter 23 in all its delayed glory. I really and truly apologize for that, but there were several things working against me. Writers block was worse on this one than any other chapter I've written, I had some beta work to do on a couple other stories and it seemed like every chance I had to write, some part of my life got in the way.

Also, it was a little over one year ago that I started this story and I've come a long way since then. It's thanks to you, my dedicated readers that my story is as popular as it is and that I've been allowed to be so creative with it. You all have my thanks.

As I do every chapter, I want to thank fellow authors **Titokhan** and **gigiree123** for helping me out with suggestions and tweaks to make my work better, as well as my anonymous grammar beta for his hard work and support. I couldn't do this without you all, so thanks.

So let's do some shout-outs and credit where credit is due:

**Zafnak:** You were the only one to get the Spinal Tap reference. Kudos!

**MattWilson83:** Gets credit for some adjustments to the battle scene with Freyja and future use of the ANBU in my story. Thanks for pointing that out.

**OGAFazer89AC:** The scene between Guy and Kakashi came from his idea...it was pure genius and a complete blast to write. Also, both he and **bennie403** split credit on another item but I'll have to wait until the author's note at the end to elaborate.

**Firetemplar415:** Also gets some credit since I used one of his ideas in the scene between Guy and Kakashi. Thank you very much!

**KingKakashi:** I had initially thought about doing several different things with the Guy and Kakashi scene but thanks to him I stayed on the correct path. Parts were eliminated and added based on his input - so thank you!

**Collective credit:** Okay, this one will be a little different but there were quite a few readers who either left a review or sent me a PM regarding how strong the Mienai Segi appear in my story. It's rather ironic so many people would point that out, because I had already planned to address that in this chapter. I really tried to make it work to please everyone - another reason why this chapter was delayed - but I hope you all like how I did it.

And last but not least, I'm giving a shout-out and credit where it's due to...**_ME!_**

_I know some of you are confused, so let me explain..._

I took several hours out of my life - ON A SUNDAY - to write a battle scene between Naruto and Sasuke for FanFiction writer **ttrq** that he could use in his story, under the premise that he'd give me credit and mention my own story somewhere in the chapter. I even beta'd the thing for him - _twice_ \- before he published it.

So the chapter gets released and there's no mention of the work I did. Nothing. Nada. Zip. I sent him a PM on it and he said he'd change it. Nothing. I figured he'd address the issue in his next chapter - but that didn't happen either.

Everyone who reads my story should know how fanatical I am about stuff like this. And anyone else out there who's a writer knows that credit should always be given, whether the contributor asked or not. It's common courtesy and simply the right thing to do.

And since it looks like the only way I'll get credit is to do it myself, that's exactly what I'm doing. **_Yay for me._**

I'd also like to thank **Lu Lu-Chan25** for once again mentioning my story in her own. Please check her stuff out if you get the chance.

Enough with the depressing stuff. On to the disclaimer! Let's see who recognizes this one:

**_Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto. And I believe you wanted to make me a deal?_**

**_Cole – Yes, I did. You see this? This is my most prized possession. It's my new Porsche._**

**_Disclaimer – Wow, that's a beautiful car._**

**_Cole – God, I love this car. And I'm willing to trade you my new Porsche for your fiancee Debbie. An even swap._**

**_Disclaimer – Oh, Cole! A car for Debbie? This is perplexing...what an intriguing offer you've made! Should I take the car...or take Debbie?_**

**_Cole – The car's got low miles, and it handles like a dream._**

**_Disclaimer – Well, so does Debbie! (+1 if you get the reference)._**

* * *

Chapter 23 – Relationships

Naruto arrived at his office early the next morning. Since becoming Hokage, his days were mostly filled with boring and mundane tasks but today Temari was due in at noon to swear her loyalty to Konoha. Normally something so trivial would have been done by the Office of Shinobi Management, but Temari had insisted that because of who she was – and what she'd given up to marry Shikamaru – that Naruto should be the one to administer the oath.

He figured it was the least he could do – and maybe it would make Shikamaru's life a bit less…_stressful_ if he did it.

And of course, Temari was soon to be part of a larger problem he had…too many kunoichi were pregnant at the same time. Hanabi and Tenten were both a few months along, he just found out about Hinata yesterday, Sakura gave birth only a few weeks ago and because of the marriage contract he'd drawn up with Yoshino, Temari would HAVE to be pregnant sometime soon.

He just hoped Ino, Mina and Arekusu's biological clocks didn't all go off in the next six months.

But there was a fresh batch of genin that would be graduating from the academy, and his classmates were now at the age and skill level where they could possibly get teams of their own. Neji, Shino, Choji and Ino were currently available, and he was still on the fence about Sasuke, since he'd been planning on putting him in charge of the ANBU. But if enough kids graduated the academy he'd be short of qualified people, and that meant he'd have to start raiding the ANBU for qualified jōnin… and since several of his former associates were running rogue in the elemental nations right now, he was trying to avoid that if at all possible.

Before he had a chance to ponder it any further, the door opened and Kakashi slogged into his office, practically dragging his feet. What little Naruto could see of his face was pale as a sheet, and he watched as his former sensei headed straight for the couch and collapsed on it, staring blankly at the ceiling.

"And good morning to you too, Kakashi-sensei." Naruto said jovially. "Care to explain why you're lying on my couch, looking like you just had the worst night of your life? What happened? Drink too much sake? Or did someone catch you peeking on the kunoichi baths?"

"At this point, I would have preferred getting caught peeking on the kunoichi baths." Kakashi said wearily, as if he hadn't slept in a week. "I did something far more stupid. I asked Freyja out on a date."

A pall came over the room. Kakashi knew that Naruto was the only one who would catch the hidden meaning beneath his words. And after a pregnant pause, Naruto began to laugh uproariously.

"I should have known better than to come here looking for sympathy." Kakashi said dejectedly. He stared at Naruto, who was holding his sides as he tried in vain to contain himself. "You know, a true friend wouldn't be laughing right now, Naruto."

"Are you kidding, Kakashi-sensei? Of course they would!" Naruto exclaimed, wiping a tear from his eye. "Let me guess what happened…after you asked Freyja out on a date, she challenged you to a fight. Am I right?"

Kakashi nodded mutely.

"Where and when?"

"Friday at noon. Training ground twenty-six."

"Well, I can't say that I feel sorry for you, Kakashi-sensei." Naruto said, grinning smugly. "The day after Sasuke and I came back from our mission, I told you that Freyja only offers herself to someone who beats her in a fight. You knew what you were getting yourself into when you asked her out."

"I wasn't asking her to sleep with me, Naruto. I just wanted to take her out to dinner." Kakashi said defensively.

"She considers anything beyond casual friendship to be in the category of romantic interest. You could've asked me at any time and I would have told you."

"Wonderful." Kakashi deadpanned. "I'll get to ponder that while I get my ass kicked in front of an audience."

"An audience?" Naruto asked, raising an eyebrow curiously. "Why would there be an audience at your fight?"

"Freyja knew I'd end up talking to you about this. She wants two impartial judges for the fight because Hinata told her that you can use a special exemption and promote her to jōnin if she beats me bad enough."

Naruto mulled that over for a minute. The idea wasn't necessarily a bad one; she'd easily qualify as an elite jōnin and by beating someone like Kakashi, he'd have a solid argument when he brought it up in front of the council. It would also stop Freyja from bitching about being only a genin, and she'd be available for more dangerous missions if need be. She wasn't ready to lead a team of genin fresh from the academy, but she could certainly accompany one of them if the situation called for it.

However, as much as he was enjoying the look of fear on Kakashi's face, he also felt a bit sorry and sympathetic towards his former sensei. Kakashi was in this situation because he actually **liked** Freyja – so sabotaging any chance he might have would probably be rather childish and petty on his part.

Besides, it probably wouldn't make a difference anyway. Freyja was known within the Mienai Segi for being notoriously hard-headed, so if she set her mind to doing something, more often than not she found a way to make it happen – and apparently, she **really** wanted this promotion.

Mentally defeated, he heaved a sigh and raised the privacy seals on the room. "Don't go anywhere, Kakashi-sensei. I'll be back in a few minutes." And he vanished in a flash of yellow light.

Kakashi remained where he was on the couch, thinking about how life had conspired to put him such a depressed state. The conversation hadn't gone quite as bad as he'd thought it would – he figured Naruto would have laughed and mocked him a hell of a lot more than he did, and as the minutes ticked idly by he wondered where Naruto had run off to. Hopefully it wasn't to make things worse by telling Ino to spread the news about his upcoming fight throughout the village.

About five minutes later, Naruto reappeared in his office holding a sword. "Here," he said simply, tossing it to Kakashi, who deftly caught the blade.

"What's this?"

"It was a gift from Saladin several years ago – he said it was my reward for beating Freyja in a fight, but I never really bought that. I just think he decided to trust me with it because of my unselfish nature of always helping others more than myself." Naruto turned up one corner of his mouth in a knowing smirk. "Its name is Kurayami."

"Kurayami? That's an interesting name." Kakashi's gaze wandered over it, marveling at the unusual craftsmanship. The hilt and sheath were ebony black, but it wasn't because it was painted that way. This was a much deeper version of the color; it seemed as if the sword was somehow drinking in the light around it – it was almost like staring into an endless void. He flicked the blade out and found that it was also black, just like the rest and he resisted the urge to test the edge with his thumb, thinking he'd probably slice the digit off if he did so. "What does it do?"

Naruto's eyes twinkled with mirth. "Just one simple thing. When you channel some chakra into the blade, it…reflects."

"Reflects what?"

"Anything that physically strikes it – which makes it ideal for defense. Oh, and as an added bonus the blade can't be broken. It won't automatically control your movements – you'll have to rely on your own skills to block any attacks – but your Sharingan help can you out with that."

Kakashi slid the sword back into its sheath, letting out a long breath. "I don't see what difference this is going to make, Naruto. Freyja is Mienai Segi – she'll probably kick my ass without breaking a sweat."

Hearing his despondent tone of voice, Naruto was surprised to hear Kakashi adopting such a defeatist attitude before the fight even began. In all the years he'd known him, Naruto had never seen this side of his former sensei. He quickly decided to help Kakashi out, even though what he was about to reveal went against the rules of the Mienai Segi.

"Kakashi," Naruto said rather seriously. "Do you remember from the reports on the fourth shinobi war that at one point, Itachi was resurrected by Kabuto using the Edo Tensei? And that he helped me and Killer B defeat Nagato?"

Kakashi nodded solemnly. "Yes, I remember that. So?"

"During the fight, Itachi said that 'every jutsu has a weak point.' It turns out he was absolutely correct…" Naruto paused for dramatic effect. "…but that statement holds true for people as well."

"That reference is a bit vague, Naruto. What do you mean by that? What people?"

"It could mean anyone, but right now I'm talking about the Mienai Segi. There are certain things we're all taught to be experts at, like stealth but the rest depends on the individual. However, one thing we all have in common is that no one is infallible or invincible. Everybody has a weakness, just like Itachi said."

Kakashi narrowed his eye skeptically. "I'm calling bullshit on this one, Naruto. You don't get to be a member of the Mienai Segi by being an upper level chūnin. To handle the kind of forbidden jutsu your organization uses someone has to be extremely skilled, and have elite jōnin or Kage level reserves."

"And how does any of that translate to not having a weakness?" Naruto asked, still somewhat annoyed. Kakashi's outlook on the outcome of the fight before it even began was beginning to wear on his slight amount of patience. "As powerful as Madara Uchiha was, we were still able to beat him. And what about Anubis? He would've turned this village into an army of the walking dead given the chance, but we took down both him and the Minions of Set because I knew their weakness was fire."

Kakashi mulled that over as he watched Naruto pull a blank scroll from his desk and begin writing on it. He had a point about Anubis, and if anyone would know the truth about the Mienai Segi and their weaknesses Naruto would – he'd spent enough time with them and he was one of their more powerful members to boot.

"So…So how strong is Freyja in relation to Anubis? I remember you said once his rank in the Mienai Segi was around seventeen or so, but was he Kage level? Is Freyja Kage level?" Kakashi asked, an inkling of hope appearing in his eye.

"Only the top ten members of the Mienai Segi qualify as Kage level," Naruto said absently, his eyes and mind still concentrating on the scroll in front of him. "The rest of them can be compared to either jōnin or elite jōnin. Freyja's rank is about eight, so yes – her reserves are as large as the five great Kage of the elemental nations."

So Kakashi was going to have to fight someone with reserves and skills at least on par with his own, if not greater. However, maybe Naruto could give him a bit of an edge if…

"You also said that every member of the Mienai Segi has a weakness. What's Freyja weak against?"

Naruto stopped what he was doing and looked up. It was blatantly obvious that Kakashi was asking in the hope that he'd unintentionally blurt out that crucial bit of information. He probably didn't expect an honest answer, but Naruto decided to humor him and give him one anyway.

"Wind." Naruto answered, his eyes laughing as he did so. "She's weak against wind attacks, which is the reason why only Gideon and I were able to beat her in a fight. Not a lot of strong wind users out there, you know."

Kakashi groaned. "Great. Just great. Out of the hundreds of jutsu that I've copied, of course it'd have to be the one element that I only know a few techniques for." He looked slyly at Naruto out of the corner of his eye. "And what about you? What's your weakness?"

Naruto chuckled, realizing he had the perfect answer. "That's a no brainer, Kakashi-sensei. I actually have two – Ichiraku Ramen, and a pair of Hyūga eyes that belong to the most beautiful woman in the world."

"Smartass," Kakashi said sarcastically. "I guess I deserved that. I really shouldn't complain, though – you've already given me more help than I was hoping for."

"And I'm about to give you a little bit more." Having finished what he was writing, Naruto rolled up the scroll and sealed it with wax before handing it over to Kakashi. "Give this to Freyja when you see her tomorrow. It'll make sure she keeps the fight between the two of you more or less on equal terms."

Kakashi stared at the scroll for a moment before his curiosity got the better of him and he said, "None of this makes any sense. After the incident with you becoming Hokage and then the surprise of Freyja and Reira being at your house, I was fully expecting you to tell me to suck it up and deal with the consequences on my own…but you didn't do that." He stared at Naruto, his gaze plagued by uncertainty. "So that begs the question…why are you helping me so much?"

Naruto leaned back in his chair and rubbed his forehead, weighing all of his possible answers. In the end he went with the most obvious and simple of them all. "To be honest Kakashi-sensei, a lot of it has to do with Hinata. You've been very supportive of her during the entire time you've been training her, which is probably why she's become personally involved in all this. She'd probably make my life miserable if I used this opportunity to get back at you – and I may be a lot of things, but I'm not THAT stupid."

The room was silent as Kakashi thought about what Naruto just said. He was sure there were other answers, but Naruto wasn't interested in giving them – and it didn't really matter anyway. The reason Naruto gave was good enough for him.

"My advice is that for the rest of the day, you go to training ground twenty-six and get in some extra training." Naruto said, giving him a knowing smile. "And one more thing – you should probably start the fight with your Sharingan activated. Trust me when I say you'll need it from the get go."

Kakashi paused, and then nodded in agreement. The conversation was over, and he knew that from here on out the rest was up to him. "Thanks." he said brusquely, before turning around and walking out the door.

Naruto watched him go, and then waited a full minute before placing his hands behind his head and propping his feet upon his desk. The grin that broke out on his face was sly, mischievous and hinted towards a subtle background plot.

"Well, I promised Kakashi that I wouldn't sabotage his fight with Freyja – and I never go back on a promise." He said out loud to himself, savoring the moment. "But having the best possible audience around to witness him losing the fight? Now that's something I can do."

* * *

Kurenai Yūhi walked through the forest, her thoughts on yesterday's meeting with the Hokage. At noon today, she'd be one of two people tasked with objectively judging a fight between a genin and a jōnin of the Leaf Village. Their recommendation would determine if a special exemption would be used to promote the genin immediately to jōnin, bypassing the exams.

She still didn't know who the two shinobi were – Naruto's body language said he was practically itching to tell her, but somehow he fought the urge. But he **DID** guarantee that she'd enjoy the show.

**_Naruto…_**The fact that he was now Hokage still felt a bit weird to her. He'd been an orphan; the dead last and class clown in the academy, known more for his pranks than his skills as a ninja.

It still amazed her at how much things had changed since then – and how wrong everyone had been about him.

Everyone that is, except for Hinata. She'd never wavered in her belief of Naruto and his abilities, and now she was happily married to the man of her dreams – although it had taken a lot of pain and suffering to get there.

Kurenai couldn't be happier for the woman she considered to be like a younger sister.

As she arrived at her destination, she was greeted by a familiar face – someone who could turn a small afternoon session into one that felt like an eternity.

"Kurenai! It's wonderful to see you!" Might Guy declared. "It appears to me that your flames of youth are burning as brightly as ever! Tell me, how is Asuma Jr.?"

Kurenai sighed inwardly; Guy was her friend but the whole 'flames of youth' thing was now an old, tired rhetoric. It was hard to believe he was still doing it at his age. "It's good to see you too Guy – and Asuma Jr. is doing just fine, thanks. He'll be graduating from the academy in the next year or two, and he's eager to follow in his father's footsteps."

"I look forward to that day! I know that if Asuma were here, he'd be very proud of his son and the job you've done of raising him. Having the two of you as his parents means he'll make a great shinobi!"

Kurenai smiled wistfully. Although she'd come to terms with Asuma's death all those years ago, she still got the occasional twinge of regret when she thought about him. Rather than dwell on it, she decided to change the subject as quick as possible.

"So, I'm guessing that you and I are today's judges but tell me…did Naruto happen to mention the names of the two people that'll be fighting today?" Kurenai asked.

Guy shook his head. "He did not. Although, I am curious and more than a bit concerned. For a genin to be fighting a jōnin, no matter what the level seems to be pure folly. Experience tells me that this battle will be very one sided."

"Normally I'd agree with you, but I think we both know that even Naruto isn't that dense. I'm sure he's privy to some information about this situation that we aren't."

"I'm sure you're right as always, Kurenai. Plus, Naruto assured me that today's contest simply cannot be missed!" Guy exclaimed, striking the nice guy pose and giving her a thumbs-up. "My excitement has been so great, that I decided to come early and get some additional training in before it started!"

Only mildly shocked, Kurenai raised her eyebrows at him and asked, "Additional training? How long have you been out here, Guy?"

"Since ten-thirty this morning. I figured that if I was going to be at one of the training grounds, why waste an opportunity to get some additional training in?" He accentuated his point by doing pushups while standing on his hands. "Although, I do find it unfortunate that no one was around to witness the awesome display of my flames of youth!"

Kurenai rolled her eyes. Just as she was about to respond, she felt a chakra signature heading their way…a very familiar one.

_"Hey…Guy…" Kurenai said hesitantly. This doesn't make any sense. Why the hell would the Hokage send _**_HIM_**_ of all people to fight this genin – whoever that might be? Doing something like that basically amounts to overkill._

Guy stopped what he was doing and flipped back onto his feet. "I feel it too Kurenai, and I'm just as confused as you are. However, there's no mistaking the fact that this chakra signature belongs to…"

Kakashi suddenly appeared in the middle of the clearing, his posture guarded as if he half-expected to be attacked the moment he arrived. His lone visible eye darted around warily, like he was searching for something – or someone – that should already be there.

But as he spotted Kurenai and Guy, it was obvious by the look on his face that he was just as surprised as they were.

"…MY ETERNAL RIVAL!" Guy exploded, frightening every animal within a fifty foot radius. "Although I'm wondering if he's one of the two people we are expecting. Naruto said a genin and a jōnin would be fighting today – and Kakashi is a former Hokage, which is a different class entirely."

"Kurenai? Guy? What're you two doing out here?" Kakashi asked, walking over to where his two friends stood. A sinking feeling was developing in the pit of his stomach, since there could be only one reason for them to be here at all.

"Naruto asked the two of us to be here today at noon. We're supposed to judge a fight between a genin and jōnin of the Leaf Village." Kurenai said pointedly, before narrowing her eyes at him. "But why are YOU out here? Did Naruto send you to make sure the two of us did a good job?"

_Of course, Kakashi thought to himself. I had a feeling it was too good to be true. Out of everyone he had available, he sent Kurenai and Guy – somehow finding a way to make this situation more embarrassing than it already is. If I lose as bad as Freyja hinted at two days ago, Guy will never let me live it down…_

"Ah, no…" Kakashi said sheepishly. "I'm actually going to be fighting today."

"Naruto told us to expect a genin and a jōnin. He said nothing about a former Hokage."

"This situation is kinda special. I was… specifically requested." Kakashi said with forced hesitancy. "Although, I'm a bit surprised. I'm usually the last one to arrive for anything. I don't know how it happened, but somehow I beat my opponent here."

"Don't go patting yourself on the back just yet, Scarecrow. I've been waiting for you for the last half hour."

Everyone turned in the direction of the voice. About twenty yards away, they saw Freyja emerge from the shadows of the tree line and walk purposefully toward them. From the combination of her posture and focused stare, everyone could tell that she was looking forward to this fight in more ways than one.

Without taking his eyes off their newest visitor, Guy leaned towards his fellow judge and whispered, "Kurenai…Did you know…?"

"No," she answered just as quietly, interrupting him. "I didn't sense anything either. And if she's really been watching for the last thirty minutes…"

Both of their faces guarded masks, they watched this unknown woman stride over to Kakashi, stopping several feet in front of him. She crossed her arms defiantly in front of her chest and said, "Well, well, well…glad to see you showed up. I was kinda thinking I'd scared you off the other day."

"I don't run from fights, Freyja – especially not one as important as this. I have my pride, and I'm not embarrassing my village by chickening out. Whatever you or I might think the outcome of this little contest is going be, I'm not hiding from it."

Freyja snorted. "Wow…I'll give you points for making that bold of a statement. Most people don't have the brass balls to talk to me like that. Yours must be huge."

"Uh…sure, I guess…" Kakashi said, blushing in embarrassment as he reached into one of his vest pockets and pulled out a storage scroll. After unrolling it on the ground, he placed his hand in the center and four items appeared in a cloud of smoke – the scroll Naruto had given him yesterday, the sword Kurayami and two specially made kunai.

Upon seeing Kurayami, Freyja scowled and pointed at the sword. "Where did you get that?" she demanded.

"Naruto let me borrow it for the fight today." He extended his hand, offering her the scroll. "He also said that I should give you this before we get started."

Still looking a bit peeved, Freyja snatched the scroll from Kakashi's hand. Breaking the seal, she quickly unrolled it to see what it had to say.

*:*

*:*

_Freyja,_

_I'm sure by now you saw what I lent Kakashi and you're suitably pissed – probably because you realize this fight isn't going to be the walk in the park you imagined it would be. And you might be thinking that's the only thing I'm doing to help him out – but you'd be wrong. There's some additional rules I'm giving you – and ONLY YOU – for this fight._

_You will NOT do anything to maim, permanently injure or kill your opponent. I don't want to hear about how your sword 'accidentally slipped' and cut off a finger or limb – so make sure to keep your anger in check._

_Don't even think about using any forbidden jutsu. And any jutsu with a blast radius of more than a quarter of a mile is off limits as well._

_And one last thing…Totentanz is NOT to make an appearance during the fight. If my judges tell me they saw even the tiniest part of him, I'm declaring you the loser. So don't even try it._

_Other than that, you have my full permission to embarrass Kakashi any way you want. If you're looking for ideas, you might remember that no one has seen him without his mask._

_I'll get the report from my two judges later this afternoon. You can give me your version of how things went during dinner at the house tonight._

_Gabriel_

*:*

*:*

Scowling, Freyja rolled up the scroll and flung it into the woods – telling everyone she wasn't happy with the contents. "Well, it looks like you just got a buttload of help. That thing said I can't use half of the stuff I was thinking of." Smirking, she casually reached up and touched the back of her neck. "I guess I'll just have to make do with this."

A sword appeared in her hand, and the three onlookers could honestly say it was unlike anything they'd ever seen. The main blade was wider and thicker, but the tip was still curved up like a katana. Two smaller blades adorned either side of the crosspiece; one side resembled an axe blade about three inches in length while the other side sported a crescent shaped, eight inch blade with a hook on the endpoint. The hilt was curved in the opposite direction as the main blade, and the pommel was carved into what could only be described as the visage of a demon, with two tusks coming out of its mouth.

Freyja stood about five feet seven inches tall, yet the sword appeared to be almost four feet in length, and looked inordinately heavy. Kakashi absently wondered how fast she actually was with it, as he strapped Kurayami across his back and held one of the specially made kunai in each hand.

Freyja raised an eyebrow inquisitively. "Not gonna use Kurayami?"

Kakashi shook his head as he held the kunai, blades pointing skyward to display them properly. "I thought I'd start off with these. They're kunai I used for the silent killing technique when I was an ANBU captain. That's why the blades are twice as long, and…"

He paused for a moment as he saw Freyja's sword suddenly enveloped in a swirling aura of two colors – an ebony black similar to Kurayami, and a jade green that matched the color of Freyja's eyes. The odd thing however, was that the two colors never blended together. Rather, it was like oil flowing downstream on a river, the two substances churning but never mixing…almost like they were partners dancing in chaotic harmony…

"Umm, as I was saying…these kunai are made from specially enhanced chakra metal. They're far stronger than the ones shinobi normally use, and…"

**_TING!_**

Kakashi blinked as he watched the blades of the kunai fall to the ground. Somehow, Freyja had moved her sword fast enough to cut them off, leaving him holding only a handle in each hand.

"Oh, I'm sorry…did you say those kunai were far stronger than the normal ones?" she asked sarcastically, a dark chuckle slipping past her lips. "Because I could have sworn that's what I just heard you say. Or was it that you've changed your mind and want to use Kurayami instead?"

By this time, Guy and Kurenai had removed themselves from the immediate area of danger and were sitting at the edge of the clearing on two large rocks. After watching the exchange, Guy leaned over once again and whispered, "Kurenai…did you even see her move?"

Kurenai shook her head, a bit awed. "No, the blade is the only thing that changed position. I don't know who she is or where she came from but she's no genin, that's for sure. Kakashi's going to have his hands full with this one."

Sighing in resignation, Kakashi dropped the remains of his two kunai on the ground. With one hand he lifted his headband to reveal his Sharingan eye, and with the other he reached over his shoulder and drew the sword strapped across his back. As before, he was amazed at how the blade didn't seem to reflect any light.

"Okay, Freyja. You made your point. I think I'm ready now."

"Then let's get this party started."

In the space of a heartbeat the two fighters clashed their blades together. The sound of SuchīRushadou and Kurayami striking each other sounded eerily similar to a blacksmith hammering steel on his anvil, the ringing echoing throughout the clearing.

Even though they were only a few feet apart, both Freyja and Kakashi stood almost perfectly still, the only movement being their arms as their swords came together in a flurry of strokes. It was if the two of them were tentatively testing the skills of the other; like a swimmer dipping their toe in the water to see how cold it was.

Freyja made several slashes at Kakashi's face and then feinted towards his chest, trying to see if his defense favored one body part more than another. She'd never been one to analyze her opponent in a fight, preferring more of a hack and slash approach. That strategy had worked out pretty well in life for her so far, but since she didn't know anything about Kakashi or how strong he was, she thought she'd use this tactic for once.

For his part, Kakashi was putting up a good defense. He was actually rather impressed with himself; he wasn't straining to keep up with Freyja but it wasn't a cakewalk either. He was merely maintaining, although he wondered how long that would actually last because Freyja was staring back at him, a deranged grin plastered on her face which meant…

_So far, this has been pure entertainment for her, he thought. There's no way this is the limit of her kenjutsu skills, which means she's testing me, waiting for an opening to strike. I need to stay on guard…_

And in the back of his mind he was VERY glad that Naruto let him borrow the sword. After seeing how easily Freyja cut through his special kunai with SuchīRushadou, having something that not only didn't break but actually made every strike rebound a bit was invaluable in a fight like this.

Freyja feinted towards Kakashi's stomach and then without breaking the motion continued up towards his face. When Kakashi instinctively followed the strike it left his torso exposed for a brief second and Freyja lashed out with her foot, catching him in his stomach and launching him backwards.

Kakashi performed a backflip and landed on his feet, hoping she would give him a second or two to regroup but that turned out to be pure fantasy. As soon as he straightened back up she was on him once again, attacking with feints and controlled slashes. She was pushing him backward, slowly but surely and Kakashi knew that he needed to start attacking and stop defending if he wanted to have any hope of winning this fight.

He pushed some chakra into his arms and legs, knowing speed was the key to penetrating her defense. He started to press her backward, step by step as Kurayami left what seemed like an inky trail of shadows in the air from moving so fast. Kakashi continued his relentless assault, gaining ground against his adversary. Five steps…now six…now seven… His confidence was starting to rise just a bit…

And then Kakashi made a rookie mistake and overextended himself. Feeling a bit cocky that he was doing so well, he slashed twice at Freyja's head. She blocked the first one, but at the last moment she did a full leg split, allowing the second to pass harmlessly over her head. Now off balance, Kakashi tilted a bit before righting himself – but that was all the opening Freyja needed.

Before he had a chance to regain solid footing, Freyja rose back up and faster than any normal eye could follow, flicked her sword out and slashed his vest across both shoulders and then straight down the middle. The vest that had protected him in countless battles during the fourth shinobi war fell to the ground in three pieces, now an utterly useless pile of fabric.

Across the clearing, Guy and Kurenai had watched the initial exchange with mild interest. However, as things progressed they started to take on the roles that Naruto had given them, their eyes focused on the fight with rapt fascination.

"When Naruto told me this fight would be entertaining I was skeptical at first, but I have to admit he wasn't kidding." Kurenai said intently, refusing to tear her gaze away from the two fighters in front of them. "Guy, you're a better judge of what they're doing right now than I am. What's your opinion?"

"She's exceptionally fast – her kenjutsu is Kage level, without a doubt. In all my years of fighting, I've never seen anyone with skill such as hers." Guy breathed appreciatively. "This spells trouble for my eternal rival. If he tries to match her in a contest of only kenjutsu, he will surely lose."

Kurenai glanced sideways at him, refusing to take her eyes completely off the fight. "How can you tell she's that skilled?"

"That kunoichi…Freyja, I believe Kakashi called her…if you notice her posture, it's semi-relaxed and her demeanor gives the impression that she's enjoying this fight on a number of levels. Plus, think about the weight of her sword – performing a precision cut such as the one she just used to cut off Kakashi's vest without injuring the wearer requires pinpoint accuracy and control. Kakashi's moves on the other hand, while not desperate still have an air of seriousness about them. He's still on guard even when he's taking the offensive position." Guy shrugged, conceding some unknown point to himself. "I'd estimate that Freyja is at only half of her best effort. I'd probably have to open at least three gates to keep up with her if she went all out."

"Then Kakashi needs to pull off some serious ninjutsu to win this fight," Kurenai realized. "But still…where did this woman actually come from? How can she be this good and no one knew about it?"

Kakashi's Sharingan was getting a serious workout through all of this; it was difficult but he was able to keep up with Freyja's speed as the immense blade she wielded came at him from what seemed like every possible angle. Now that he lost his vest, he was a bit more leery about the attacks and his mind was running a mile a minute, digesting possible strategies where he might actually win.

_How the hell can she move that sword of hers so fast? he thought to himself, parrying another quick round of slashes at his midsection. It either has some sort of special property, or she's stronger than she looks… and until I know otherwise, I'll have to assume it's both…_

Freyja jumped back suddenly, putting some distance between her and Kakashi, who appeared befuddled at the move since she currently had the upper hand. Grinning sadistically, she motioned her hand towards him mockingly – practically daring him to attack her again.

Still remaining calm and collected, Kakashi decided to give in to her request and dashed forward to meet her in the middle…except she didn't do that. With less than six inches separating them she dodged to the side, allowing him to pass harmlessly – and allowing her lash out once again with her sword. Three more swipes and the back of his shirt was now gone.

"I'm surprised you fell for that," Freyja said haughtily, thinking she had Kakashi's fighting style pegged. "Don't get distracted – you gotta stay on your toes when you fight someone like me!"

"I'll keep that in mind." Kakashi responded dryly. He engaged her in swordplay once again, trying to find a hole in her defense. It was a risk, but if he could just find a way to slip inside her kenjutsu he'd have a much better chance of winning this thing…

And then he saw it…Freyja's body pulled back a tiny bit every time her sword rebounded off of Kurayami. It'd have to be extremely precise since the window of opportunity was so small, but getting in one good hit was certainly possible... he'd have to make it count…

Kakashi slashed his sword vertically in front of Freyja's face and she instinctively blocked it – causing her own sword to rebound and making her right arm reel back just a bit. Her eyes followed the sword as it passed harmlessly by – completely missing the fact that Kakashi's chakra enhanced fist was hiding behind it.

The punch crashed into her jaw and launched her backwards, her body digging a trench thirty feet long in the ground. Freyja righted herself and straightened up, rubbing her jaw in surprise while Kakashi wondered how she could even be conscious, let alone standing considering the strength he just put into the attack.

"You hit me!" she exclaimed, before rolling her tongue around in her mouth and spitting out a tooth in a very unladylike fashion. "I'm a woman! You're not supposed to hit me like that!"

"I'm well aware that you're a woman," Kakashi said, eyeing Freyja up and down suggestively. "But that's not how I see you right now. Instead, I see you as a very capable and deadly warrior, who also happens to be my opponent."

After hearing this, Freyja leered at Kakashi. "And **THAT** was the right thing to say, Scarecrow. That silver tongue of yours just made your hotness factor kick up a notch. You're now a four, rather than a three – on a scale of one to ten, of course."

"Gee, thanks." Kakashi replied dryly, his ego a bit deflated. "You ready to get started again?"

"Well, since you asked so nicely…"

Kakashi knew that trying to win this fight using only kenjutsu was a losing proposition. It was Freyja's specialty and he knew she wasn't near her maximum. He needed to start using some ninjutsu, and it probably wouldn't hurt to take a page out of Naruto's playbook of fighting techniques.

He placed Kurayami back in its scabbard and started to flash rapidly through several hand signs. Freyja saw what he was doing and motioned her body as if she was thinking of running towards him to engage him in swordplay once again, but unfortunately it was too late.

"Water Style: Pressure Geyser!" Kakashi exclaimed, slamming his hand into the ground.

The ground beneath her feet began to shake, as Freyja struggled to maintain her footing. Half a second later, a large torrent of water erupted from beneath the surface and launched her high into the air. Still holding onto her sword she flailed her arms, trying to maintain her balance in midair but in doing so, she left herself wide open for a second attack.

Kakashi flashed through another series of hand signs, and then placed one hand in front of his mouth. "Fire Style: Great Dragon Fire Technique!"

A stream of fire with the head of a dragon emerged from his mouth and made its way straight towards Freyja as she began to drop back towards the ground. The expression on Freyja's face changed from surprise, to shock, to anger in the space of a few seconds. She could feel the intensity of the flames heading towards her and just as the dragon's head opened its maw, everyone watching saw Freyja' s face contort in rage.

The dragon snapped its jaws shut, swallowing her whole and barreled towards the ground, impacting head first and creating a crater thirty feet wide. The dragon's head exploded, morphing into a gigantic ball of flames.

Even with the amount of distance between them, Guy and Kurenai cringed from the intense heat the fireball was giving off.

"I think we're going to need a medic," Kurenai stated, as she watched the ball of flames diminish just a bit. "I was worried about Kakashi when I saw the look Freyja gave him just before his jutsu reached her, but…"

"I don't think that's the case, Kurenai." Guy said, interrupting her. "There's something at the center of the fireball – and it's standing up. If indeed Kakashi's jutsu had severely injured her, she'd be lying prone on the ground instead."

"**YOU FUCK."** a voice said, dripping with malice.

"Oh, boy. Kakashi may have gone overboard with that last attack." Kurenai said guardedly. "Freyja sounds pretty pissed off."

"I agree. My eternal rival may be the one requiring medical treatment instead of his opponent."

"**YOU ROTTEN FUCK!"** The flames died down to reveal Freyja standing in the center, except this time her entire body was enveloped by the same black and green aura that was only surrounding her sword before. Freyja had extended it to protect herself from the attack, but apparently she hadn't been quick enough – her jacket, along with the bottom edge of her knee length pants were singed and in tatters. She still clutched her sword in one hand but the other was clenched into a fist, and sparks seemed to fly from her teeth as she ground them in fury, staring at Kakashi with a gaze that promised only pain.

"This was my favorite coat!" she yelled, ripping the garment off and flinging the remains to one side. "And you just fucking ruined it!"

What little of Kakashi's face that was visible turned pale. "Um…I'm sorry?" he apologized, uncertain of what else he could say. It was taking a tremendous amount of effort to stay focused, now that Freyja was wearing only her chainmail shirt.

"Sorry ain't gonna cut it!" She pointed her sword menacingly at Kakashi. "I think you need to bleed a little bit!"

Her killing intent spiked – large enough that Guy, Kurenai and Kakashi all flinched from it. She dashed forward, quicker than anyone could follow and buried her sword into Kakashi's left shoulder…

…and he disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"Shadow clone?" Freyja asked, her eyes darting around the clearing. "Don't think you can hide from me, Scarecrow! I'll find you, and when I do…"

She stopped in the middle of her tirade and grinned wickedly. Then she flashed through several hand signs with her left hand, while still gripping her sword in her right.

_She can do one handed signs, too? Guy and Kurenai thought in unison. Impressive…_

"Earth style!" Freyja shouted, raising her right foot. "Shattered Earth!" And she slammed it down, literally shattering the ground for thirty yards in every direction. The only thing comparable to the swath of destruction would be if Tsunade had used her chakra-enhanced fist instead.

Kakashi was heaved out of the ground and tossed upwards. With no way to dodge, Freyja took advantage of the opportunity and threw several shuriken at him, striking him as his body paused at the apex of his flight about a dozen feet above the ground…

…causing it to disappear in a cloud of smoke. A log fell from the bottom of the cloud with the shuriken embedded in it, landing with a thud.

"Substitution jutsu?" Freyja growled, glancing around the remains of the clearing in confusion, wondering where Kakashi might be hiding where she couldn't sense him. "When did you have the chance to set that up?"

For her answer, Kakashi launched himself straight out of the broken ground and slammed another fist into her jaw, launching her backwards. The scene was very reminiscent of the way Naruto had taken down Neji in the chūnin exams many years ago.

Freyja flipped over and landed on her feet, seemingly unaffected by his attack. "OW!" she yelled, rubbing her jaw as she wiggled it back and forth, testing it out. "THAT FUCKING HURT!"

Kakashi couldn't believe what he was seeing. He'd hit Freyja twice with chakra enhanced punches – specifically in the head to try and knock her out – and not only didn't she lose consciousness, she wasn't even dizzy.

_What the hell is she made of? Is she stronger than I thought, or am I just that out of shape because I focused more on my job while I was Hokage and less on my training?_

"Okay, I've had enough of getting hit by you. I'm finishing this fight right now." Freyja said, flashing through signs with her left hand and then slamming her right foot down. "Earth Style: Pillar Bombardment!"

Several pillars of earth erupted from the ground, but instead of going straight up they bent and twisted, almost like they were living things – the closest comparison that could be made was Yamato utilizing his Mokuton.

They made a beeline straight for Kakashi – and the former Hokage knew right away that he was in deep trouble. Several broken ribs and a fractured leg weren't beyond the realm of possibility if they slammed repeatedly into his body.

He whipped out Kurayami and slashed at each pillar as it came near him, doing his best to defend himself but Freyja had joined in the melee as well, appearing in gaps between the pillars. Her sword flicked out lightning fast, slicing through various parts of his clothing and within moments she had cut through the strap holding the scabbard on his back and destroyed his shirt, leaving him bare chested. Two seconds later his mask was in pieces as well, joining the remnants of his shirt on the ground.

In a last act of desperation, Kakashi threw a wild swing at Freyja's head and she ducked underneath it, throwing two quick slashes at the belt around his pants. With nothing left to hold them up his pants fell, pooling around his ankles. Unable to pull his feet free Kakashi lost his balance and tripped, falling backwards and landing squarely on his ass.

In an instant Freyja was standing over him, her eyes glaring fiercely at him with her blade poised against his throat.

"Drop the sword."

Kakashi hesitated for a moment, wondering if there was a way he could get out of his current predicament and continue the fight until Freyja dug the point of her sword further into his neck.

"I won't ask again. Drop the sword."

The sword made a small thump as it hit the dirt.

"Surrender. Say that I won – and you'll buy me a new jacket."

"I-I surrender," Kakashi stammered. "Y-You won, and I promise I'll buy you a new jacket."

"Stand up."

"I…I can't do that with your sword where it is. My feet are tangled up in my pants, and…"

Freyja slashed her blade downwards, cutting his pants in two.

"There. Now you can stand up. So do it."

Freyja continued to keep her sword in place as Kakashi slowly got up off the ground. Once he did so, the aura around SuchīRushadou dissolved and she touched the back of her neck with the sword, placing it back into the storage seal she had tattooed there.

Just like Kakashi had done during the fight, Freyja eyed him suggestively as he stood there embarrassed, clad only in his underwear. "You know, you're really not that bad looking. Makes me wonder why you constantly hide behind that mask you wear. I'm guessing that I'm one of the few people who've actually seen your face without it?"

Kakashi blushed and nodded in agreement. He'd never been in a situation like this before, and he was unsure of what to do at the moment.

"I have to say that even though Gabriel gave me a handicap for the fight, you did a lot better than I thought you would… Kakashi."

His eyes opened a bit wider, startled that for the first time since she'd shown up in the village, she called him by his real name – and she hadn't done so mockingly either.

"A performance like that shouldn't go unrewarded," Freyja purred seductively as she moved her body closer to his. "And since I've seen you without your mask, I think it should be something just as important… and special…"

She slowly leaned in, bringing her lips tantalizingly close to his. Kakashi stood frozen, his heart beating wildly as he wondered if she was actually going to kiss him… but she continued past his lips, stopping when her cheek was a hair's breadth from his and her mouth was right beside his ear.

"Hanari." she whispered.

The shock from what just happened wore off and his eyes darted to the right, glancing at the side of her head in confusion.

"What?" he whispered back questioningly.

"Hanari. That's my real name." She pulled back, allowing him to see the smug grin plastered across her face. "Enjoy that little bit of information, because only a few people know it – it's as much a secret as what you look like without your mask." Her grin turned mischievous, almost playful. "I'll see you around the village, Kakashi." And just like two days ago, she moved fast enough to disappear instantly from everyone's sight.

Kakashi continued to stand dumbfounded in the middle of the clearing; his mind overloaded from Freyja almost kissing him and then telling him her real name. It was an extremely personal and private bit of information – something he wondered if Naruto even knew of – and it gave him a sense of uniqueness and empowerment. She'd given him something special and he wanted to savor it like a fine wine.

The fact that he was clad only in his underwear and sandals was nothing more than an afterthought on the fringes of his mind.

Kurenai and Guy were staring at Kakashi's practically naked form, but for vastly different reasons. Kurenai was simply enjoying the view, thinking that she was entitled to a little eye candy now and then, just like everyone else while Guy was thinking that Kakashi should cover himself up in the presence of Kurenai.

However, they were both silently shocked that Kakashi had lost the fight – especially in such an embarrassing manner, losing his clothes like that – along with being impressed by the display of speed and skills Freyja had put on today.

The silence between everyone stretched on for a full minute, with only the sound of the wind and the occasional cry of a bird echoing throughout the clearing until Guy decided to speak up.

"Kakashi, you should put some clothes on. Standing like that in front of a lady like Kurenai is unseemly for a former Hokage of Konoha."

Broken out of his reverie, Kakashi looked over at his two friends and saw Guy staring awkwardly at him, while Kurenai's eyes seemed to be both laughing and admiring him at the same time. And suddenly, he was VERY aware of where he was and his current state of dress – or undress, depending on how you looked at it. He shifted on his feet awkwardly, trying to position his body to where it might be less…**_revealing_**, but the effort was clearly in vain.

"I didn't bring a change of clothes with me, Guy. Having my entire outfit shredded to pieces wasn't something I thought might happen."

"Then you're in luck!" Guy declared, grinning broadly. Out of nowhere he produced a set of green spandex. "I always carry a spare outfit with me, just in case!"

Kakashi brought his hands up defensively and began to back away slowly. "Guy, I am NOT wearing that thing."

"You must! Not only will you become more presentable, but it will reignite your flames of youth that were undoubtedly diminished in your fight with the lovely lady Freyja!"

"My flames of youth are just fine, thanks. And I'd rather run around naked than be caught wearing that."

"Then you leave me no choice. I'm going to have to force you to wear it."

"I don't think so!" And Kakashi took off with Guy hot on his heels, waving the green spandex suit over his head while Kurenai watched the spectacle from her seat on the rock.

"Hey."

Kurenai jerked her head to the left, nearly jumping out of her skin in surprise. Freyja was standing there, staring at Guy chasing Kakashi around the clearing, just like she was.

"I don't think we've been properly introduced." Freyja turned her jade green eyes towards Kurenai and extended her hand. "Name's Freyja."

_I still don't understand how the hell she can get that close without me being able to sense her. "Umm…Hello. I'm Kurenai." she said, shaking Freyja's hand._

Freyja jutted her chin toward the clearing. "That's quite a show going on out there."

Kurenai sighed in resignation. "Yes, it is. But if you knew the two of them like I do, you'd realize this is nothing new."

"Really? You'd count this as a regular occurrence?"

"Fate has presented you with this opportunity, Kakashi!" Guy shouted in glee, as he continued to chase Kakashi around with the spandex suit. "You'll surely feel the power of youth once you put this on!"

"The only thing that suit will make me feel is an incredible amount of self-loathing!"

"The two of them have been like this ever since they were young," Kurenai explained. "Guy declared Kakashi to be his 'eternal rival', so he challenges him to a contest any chance he gets. If Guy loses, he uses it as motivation to get better. His training regimens are some of the most insane things I've ever seen."

"You'd know better than I would about that. But you can't argue that his dress code is absolutely hideous." Freyja observed, repulsed by Guy's outfit. "I'd say that's one contest Kakashi will always win, hands down. Did you know he looked like that underneath his mask?"

Kurenai shook her head, not taking her eyes off of Kakashi. "No, I didn't. But I have to say, the view is very…stimulating. You do good work."

"Thanks."

Kurenai heard a rustling noise coming from her left, and then a bag was shoved in front of her face.

"Want some?" Freyja asked.

"Popcorn?" Kurenai asked, looking down at the bag. "Why do you have popcorn? And where did you get it?"

Freyja shoved a few kernels into her mouth. "Well, you always gotta be prepared for anything. I keep a bunch of things in a storage scroll just in case stuff happens. Popcorn is one of those things." She gestured her hand towards Guy and Kakashi before grabbing another handful of kernels. "And you can't watch something as entertaining as that without popcorn."

"The women won't be able to take their eyes off of you!" Guy declared.

"The women will go blind if they see me in that!" Kakashi shouted, horrified at the thought.

Kurenai looked at Freyja, who was tossing kernels of popcorn in her mouth. Then she turned to watch Guy, who was chasing Kakashi around the clearing trying to catch him, grinning like a schoolboy with the spandex suit in his hands. And finally she saw Kakashi, who was running from Guy wearing only his underwear and a pair of sandals, with a look of sheer terror on his face from what would happen if he ever got caught.

She mentally agreed that the sight was far too comical not to sit and enjoy it. Kurenai smiled happily, thinking that perhaps she had found a new friend and reached into the bag to grab a handful of kernels.

"You're right," she said, popping a few of them into her mouth. "You can't watch something as entertaining as this without popcorn."

* * *

At five thirty in the afternoon Freyja sauntered into the house. Her timing appeared to be perfect, because everyone was just sitting down to dinner. She went over to the table and plopped down in her seat.

"Look who decided to grace us with her presence," Naruto said nonchalantly, quirking an eyebrow. "You know, my judges never showed up at my office this afternoon. I'm guessing you had something to do with that."

Freyja gave him a lopsided sneer, snickering as she remembered the events from this afternoon. "Well, me and Kurenai watched Might Guy chase Kakashi around the training ground with one of those hideous green spandex suits of his for about an hour. We got bored and decided to go to a bar for some drinks after that."

Naruto shook his head in utter confusion after hearing Freyja' s explanation. "Why in the world was Guy chasing Kakashi around with one of his green spandex suits? Did something happen to his clothes during the fight?"

"Of course something happened," Freyja stabbed her thumb against her chest. "And you're looking at it."

"Freyja, what…what did you do to Kakashi's clothes?" Hinata inquired.

"I used my sword to shred them. By the time I was done, all he had left was his underwear and sandals." She grinned impishly at Naruto. "Thanks for the idea, by the way."

"What idea?"

"You said in your note that no one's ever seen Kakashi without his mask, so I just ran with that."

Naruto stared at Freyja, aghast at what she'd done. "How does seeing what Kakashi looks like underneath his mask translate to cutting off his entire outfit?"

Freyja shrugged indifferently. "You know I don't do anything halfway, Gabriel. I figured why settle for just a steak when I can have the whole side of beef?"

Naruto buried his face in his hands and groaned. The explanations he'd have to give the council and the paperwork he'd have to fill out were piling up in his mind – not to mention the new wave of revenge Kakashi was plotting against him.

"Besides, it all worked out in the end. Me and Kurenai got to see him in the buff, and he got some personal dirt on me in exchange." Freyja snorted sardonically and stared at Hinata. "You should have been there with us. He may not be in the same league as Gabriel here, but I gotta give him credit. He's a lot better looking than I thought he'd be."

Hinata blushed and looked away. "Thank you for the offer Freyja, but I'm perfectly happy with my husband."

"Eh. Your loss." Freyja said before she started piling food on her plate. Naruto pounced on the brief lull in the conversation and quickly decided to change the subject.

"So Hikaru, with everything that's been going on I realized something today – we haven't really talked about your mom being pregnant." Naruto stared at his son intently. "How do you feel about it?"

"I think it's great!" Hikaru said excitedly. "It'll be nice to finally have a little brother to hang out with and teach ninjutsu to and stuff."

"Don't you think you're getting a little ahead of yourself?" Naruto asked him. "You might just get a little sister instead."

Hikaru put down his chopsticks and stared impassively at his father. "Well, I could also get two little brothers."

Naruto mirrored his action, lowering his chopsticks as well. "Or two little sisters."

"Or I might get THREE brothers."

"Or three sisters."

"What if I got FOUR…"

"Stop right there, you two!" Freyja blurted out, pointing at one and then the other with her chopsticks. "If you keep this up, pretty soon you'll have Hinata giving birth to a litter of kids, just like an animal!"

Naruto and Hikaru stared blankly at Freyja for a moment before Naruto turned to look at Hinata. "Can you do that?" he asked questioningly.

Hinata blinked in confusion. "Can I do what?"

"You know…have like eight or nine kids at once." His expression was remarkably deadpan right now. "I mean, think about it – we ARE trying to restore two clans. Wouldn't it be better to have them all at once and get it over with? I wonder if there's a jutsu that can do that…"

Hinata couldn't tell if he was being serious or joking right now. "Y-You want me to have e-eight or n-nine children at once?" she stammered nervously.

"Ten, maximum." Naruto tapped his chin thoughtfully, as if he was considering the possibilities. "You know, if there **IS** a jutsu like that, I'll bet Tsunade knows how to do it – and let's face it, she'd **LOVE** more grandkids…"

Hinata stared at Naruto, her body frozen and what little color she had drained from her face. She couldn't believe what Naruto was suggesting right now… and Tsunade was sure to help him out, what with the promise of more grandkids and the fact that she still owed him a great debt…

_A beached whale would look skinny compared to me…_

Naruto watched the expression on Hinata's face change from disbelief to shock, but when he saw the look of abject horror that came over her face he couldn't hold back anymore and he started laughing.

"Oh, man! You should see the look on your face, Hinata-hime!" he chuckled. "You actually thought I was serious about you having that many kids at once! And when I mentioned Tsunade…"

Hinata's look turned sour and she slapped him across his arm playfully. "Naruto-kun! That wasn't funny! All I could think about was how fat and ugly I'd look!"

Naruto stopped laughing and gave her a quick kiss to mollify her. "I don't care what happens. You'll always look beautiful to me."

Hinata blushed again and a smile creased her lips. The silence that followed the exchange was apparently the signal to begin eating dinner, so Naruto and Hikaru picked up their chopsticks and joined everyone else. Their faces lit up as they took the first bite.

"Wow, Hinata! This is really great!" Naruto exclaimed, shoveling more pieces of sushi into his mouth. "Did you try something different?"

"Yes, I did. Actually, Ayame gave me the idea. I seared the tuna and dusted it with a mixture of some spices before putting it in. I was hoping it would make it better."

"Well, it sure did!" Hikaru said enthusiastically. "This might be the best sushi I've ever eaten!"

Upon hearing this, Reira looked slyly at Hikaru out of the corner of her eye. "You like it that much, Hikaru-kun?"

"Absolutely! No one cooks better than my mom does!"

Reira dropped her gaze to stare absently at her plate, her thoughts seemingly far away as she pushed the rolls of sushi around with her chopsticks.

"Miss Hinata?" Reira asked tentatively, raising her head to look at the woman whose home she had been living in for the past two months.

"Yes, Reira?"

"Could you teach me how to cook?"

Hinata stopped eating and looked at the girl in surprise. "You…You want **me** to teach you how to cook? What about your mom?"

Reira shook her head. "Hikaru-kun just said he thinks **your** food is the best, not my mom's. So I think he'd like it if I could cook like you for when we get married."

Unfortunately, the comment was made while Naruto was eating sushi and Hikaru was drinking some water. Both of them started choking, coughing and sputtering as they tried to clear their throats. Everyone was staring at Reira, flabbergasted at what the girl had just announced without one iota of discomfort.

Everyone that is, except for Freyja who continued to eat her sushi with a self-satisfied smirk on her face – signifying she already knew about this.

"Did…Did I just hear you correctly, Reira?" Hinata asked, still a bit stunned. "Did you just say you and Hikaru were going to get married?"

She nodded ardently. "I sure did, miss Hinata. But only when we're old enough, of course."

"Of course," Hinata agreed casually, humoring the young girl. "But don't you think you're a little young to be making a decision like this?"

She shook her head. "No, not really. I'm going to be six in a few weeks. Besides, miss Hanabi told me that you were my age when you started stalking mister Naruto and decided to marry him."

The sunny, amused look disappeared from Hinata's face and she grimaced at Reira. "I did NOT stalk my husband, young lady."

Reira tilted her head to the side, perplexed by the statement. "But miss Hanabi said you did. She said you used to hide behind trees, and rocks, and in alleyways…then there was that one time you used the dumpster next to Ichiraku Ramen because mister Naruto left the restaurant unexpectedly and you didn't have anyplace else to hide. You ruined your jacket that day and had to throw it out. And then there was the time that Kō person caught you using your Byakugan outside the bathhouse when mister Naruto was the only one inside…"

"Alright, that's enough!" Hinata shouted, as Naruto and Hikaru stared at her in bewilderment. Both of them knew Hinata had followed Naruto around when he was younger, but neither of them knew she had been that…**_dedicated._**

"Tomorrow I'll be talking with my sister about this, because I did NOT stalk Naruto-kun. I merely…followed him around, to make sure he was okay. He didn't have a lot of people who cared about his wellbeing when we were younger, so I…I took it upon myself to make sure nothing bad happened to him. That's all."

"Um, Mom?" Hikaru asked hesitantly. "Isn't what you just said the definition of…"

Naruto clapped his hand over Hikaru's mouth, silencing him instantly. His eyes bored into his son's with a subtle, yet simple message…

_Unless you feel like being grounded for the next twelve months, you won't finish that sentence._

"What were you going to say, sweetie?" Hinata asked with a dangerous glint in her eyes.

Naruto removed his hand, watching as Hikaru's eyes darted between Hinata's deceptively catty smile and his own apprehensive look.

It was at that point Hikaru had an epiphany and learned a very valuable life lesson…

_Sometimes…not always, but _**_sometimes_**_ honesty isn't the best policy._

"Uh, nothing Mom." he said, putting on an air of innocence. "Nothing at all."

"Good. I'm glad we settled that." Hinata went back to eating her dinner, while Naruto lowered his head sheepishly before joining her. Hikaru's eyes were now darting between his mother and Reira with a bemused look on his face, along with a decent amount of trepidation. Reira was staring at Hikaru with an adoring, yet mysterious smile and Freyja was watching everyone, grinning like the cat that ate the canary and thinking as far as entertainment value goes, this **almost** topped the show today at training ground twenty-six.

After a few minutes where the only sound that could be heard was chopsticks clinking against plates, Hinata spoke up again.

"I did **NOT** stalk my husband."

Everyone remained quiet thinking that at this point, no answer would be the best answer. But they all wondered who Hinata was trying to convince by saying something like that out loud – because nobody else was gullible enough to believe it.

* * *

The next day Naruto summoned Kurenai and Might Guy into his office first thing in the morning to get their summary and opinion of the fight. Overall, both were beyond impressed with Freyja – especially her kenjutsu skills and the fact that she was able to perform one handed seals, as well as enact earth jutsu by using her feet in addition to her hands.

Kurenai of course gave him details about how Freyja had cut off Kakashi's clothes, leaving him practically nude save for his underwear and sandals. Kurenai also made a point of telling him how she and Freyja watched Guy chase Kakashi around the clearing for a solid hour with one of his spandex jumpsuits before leaving to go to a bar for some drinks.

Guy gave his own interpretation of the fight – of course, he embellished quite a bit of the tale and more than once they had to cut him off because he got sidetracked with one of his 'flames of youth' speeches. But he DID add that when he finally caught Kakashi, it turned out to be a shadow clone that his eternal rival had somehow swapped places with at some point during the chase…meaning that Kakashi had won another contest. And since he was so impressed with Freyja and her speed, he planned on challenging her to a fight later on that week to see if he could beat her with four or five of his gates opened.

The images that ran through his mind at that point – of Freyja having to submit to Might Guy if she actually lost to him in a fight – sent a shiver down Naruto's spine that lingered for quite some time, despite how hot the day was. He told Guy that he was NOT to challenge Freyja to a fight until Naruto gave him the all clear, which hopefully would be after Kakashi – or honestly, anyone else for that matter – staked a claim to Freyja' s relationship status.

At the council meeting on Wednesday, Naruto made his plea for using a special exemption on Freyja to promote her directly to jōnin. Along with his endorsement from working with her over the past several years, he made sure Kurenai and Guy were there to give their unbiased opinions as well.

They provided an exceptional amount of detail regarding the fight, giving Freyja several glowing recommendations to support Naruto's request – although the one thing the entire council focused on was how Freyja managed to strip Kakashi of his clothes using nothing but her sword. And it wasn't because they were shocked, but rather that they wanted to know what he looked like underneath his mask.

Both Kurenai and Guy paled at the request, saying they couldn't tell anyone what they saw under penalty of Kurama.

Quite a few people in the chamber asked what that meant – and they both glanced at Naruto, who grinned and explained that for those who didn't know, Kurama was the real name of the Kyuubi. He also made sure to tell everyone that going forward, Kurama was not to be referred to as 'that fox demon' since if it wasn't for Kurama lending Naruto his power, they would have lost the fourth shinobi war so addressing him properly didn't seem like too much to ask.

He then explained what 'under penalty of Kurama' meant.

When he had Guy and Kurenai in his office last Saturday, he told them that if he ever found out they leaked what Kakashi looked like underneath his mask, he'd order the two of them to have a 'friendly' sparring match with Kurama. He didn't mention Freyja because he knew that with her involvement in the Mienai Segi, she had no problems keeping a secret – plus, Kakashi knew one of hers so there was no chance she'd ever say anything.

Naruto then punctuated his statement by allowing Kurama to personally tell the two jōnin how EAGER he was to see that happen, actually encouraging them to tell someone the secret so he could have some **'fun'** as he called it chasing them around one of the training grounds for a few hours.

So Kurenai and Guy told the council in no uncertain terms that they wouldn't be talking about that particular subject. **_EVER._**

The request was approved, and Naruto brought Freyja in the next day for a small promotion ceremony. Kurenai, Guy and Kakashi were all there to witness it, and he noticed that Kakashi was stealing glances at Freyja every so often when he thought no one was watching. Naruto hoped Kakashi addressed the issue soon rather than suffer in silence – it was something both he and Hinata were very familiar with, and he didn't wish an experience like that on anyone else.

Sasuke informed him on Thursday that Sakura was now starting sessions three days a week with Tsunade to address her 'issues' concerning Naruto, and he hoped that this would lead to the apologies Sasuke was expecting her to give everyone that was affected by the situation with Hikaru. Sakura was his wife and the mother of his child, he loved her and would support her whenever she needed it, but this was one instance where Sakura had been far beyond wrong and had hurt many others in the process – and Sasuke knew from personal experience exactly what that was like. Things needed to return to normal between Sakura and Hinata – it couldn't remain like this, and Sakura needed to be the catalyst for things to move forward.

Naruto found some time on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday to sit with Hikaru and work on the caged bird seal. Even though it wasn't anything particularly exciting – he'd much rather be training or going to the park – it was nice to spend time with his son. He just wished the time they spent together wasn't on something so boring, yet vastly important.

Naruto was quickly understanding Hikaru's frustration with the whole project, since they kept going in circles. A solution led to another problem, with led to another solution, which led to another problem…and if you couple that with how long Hikaru had been working on it before Naruto discovered his involvement… well, he was tempted to let his son take a small break from it all. But then he remembered what this was all for, plus it was designed to be a punishment for stealing the caged bird seal brand and torturing Hiashi. And even if he offered it he didn't think Hikaru would take the break anyway, since he'd adopted Naruto's nindō and wasn't going to go back on his promise of helping out Neji, Tenten and their future child.

Which brought him to the next phase of his plan… one he knew that should be addressed sooner rather than later, since it would defer suspicion on himself, Hiashi and Neji if he did so. He resolved to put things into motion on Saturday, even though neither Naruto nor Hikaru were anywhere close to cracking the seal.

He just hoped Hiashi would agree to it.

* * *

"Hokage-sama?" Mina asked, knocking before opening the door to his office. "Hiashi-sama is here as you requested."

"Thank you, Mina. Show him in, please."

Mina stepped aside and Hiashi walked in. "Your ANBU messenger said you needed to see me, Naruto?"

"That's right, Hiashi." Naruto said, gesturing to the chair in front of him. "Have a seat. Would you like some tea?"

"Yes, thank you." Hiashi accepted, gazing at Naruto suspiciously. Considering their history, the current Hokage was acting far too pleasant towards him and he couldn't help but wonder why.

Mina nodded and left to get the tea, closing the door behind her. An uncomfortable tension came over the room with Hiashi wondering what this could be about while Naruto gave his father-in-law a crafty smile, implying something was up.

"I appreciate you coming right away, Hiashi. I was wondering – you haven't been by the house to see Hinata and Hikaru since our conversation almost two weeks ago. Is there a reason why?"

Hiashi narrowed his eyes at Naruto. "I've simply been busy with clan matters," he said, still slightly on guard. "Why do you ask? Were you expecting me to come over and talk with the two of them by now?"

Naruto shook his head, apparently somewhat amused by the comment. "Not particularly, Hiashi. However, I just figured that if you were really interested in becoming more involved in your grandchildren's lives, you might want to do it before Hinata, Hanabi and Tenten actually give birth. I think repairing your relationship with them should be first and foremost. That's all."

Taken aback by Naruto's honest yet blunt comment, Hiashi let his guard down a bit and sighed heavily, rubbing his forehead wearily.

"While your statement may be a bit brusque, you make a valid point Naruto. However, I simply don't have the time. Between dealing with business matters for the clan both inside and outside the village, keeping the elders in check and managing the daily activities for the compound my days are filled. Right now, a full night of uninterrupted sleep would be a welcome gift."

At that point Mina walked back into the office, carrying a tray with a pot of tea and two cups on it. She poured some in both cups before bowing and leaving the office.

Naruto picked up the cup closest to him, taking a sip of tea and savoring the flavor. Being Hokage, he had access to high quality leaves that were far better than what he could buy at the local market. "Then in that case, I'd like to ask a favor of you. One that will allow you to spend more time with everyone, and establish a decent foundation for your future as a grandfather."

Hiashi quirked an eyebrow and picked up his cup of tea. "You've piqued my interest, Naruto. What's this favor you wish to ask of me?"

"I want you to retire as head of the Hyūga clan…and name Neji as your successor."

* * *

A/N: So one more piece of credit where credit is due: Freyja's real name came from several suggestions from **OGAFazer89AC** and **bennie403**. Every single one was great, and the name 'Hinari' was a combination of them all. Thank you guys for your input!

Now, I know I'm going to see some reviews that said the story didn't move forward very much here - and you're right, which is probably why I agonized over writing it for so long. Chapters like this are needed sometimes in a story but they seriously drive me nuts. I want the story to advance as much as you guys, and I promise next chapter it will. There's so much to tell!

Now that we've hit the tipping point for Kakashi and Freyja, I will say that things will be resolved between the two of them very soon. Hikaru will now be wary of Reira - not that it'll matter. And there's more to come with Hikaru and the caged bird seal.

Sakura will reappear as she works out her issues. Sasuke and his personality will thaw just a little bit more. And more surprises will be around the corner for both Naruto...and Saladin.

As usual, I'm reminding everyone that Mina Mikon is the OC of MattWilson83. 'Nuff said.

**_Recommendation time!_** My readers should expect a theme here - I'm going to continue to recommend great stories that don't have that many followers, simply because the writing is superb and they deserve more recognition than they're getting. This one was recommended by **Lu Lu-Chan25** and **Ayrmed** in their wonderful stories (take some time and read them - please!) and it's definitely worth a look.

With that in mind, please check out **For the Love of the Hokage by Hendrixson.** It takes a different approach on our favorite love story, where the entire thing is told from Hinata's first person point of view. There's no fighting, no angst - just Naruto and Hinata exploring their growing feelings for each other. It's a very emotional and touching story that I enjoy reading over and over. If you DO happen to read it, please put the story on your favorite/follow list and leave the author a review. I'm sure he'd appreciate it.

Here's the link, as usual remove the spaces and you know what to replace the stars with:

www . fanfiction . *** / s / 10287521

**REVIEWS!** Okay, so I got almost fifty reviews last chapter and I appreciate every one that was left. I'm hoping to generate more reviews than that with this chapter so as usual, I'm pleading for more reviews. They keep me from pushing this story aside and drive me to write more chapters. I need your help and support with this - leaving guest reviews for myself would just be too creepy (and it would be cheating, besides.)

I always appreciate when people take some time and leave me a review, and I do my best to reply personally to each and every one...and remember as always, the more reviews you leave the faster the next chapter gets out.

That's all for now. Take care and stay safe.

Serious Sam


	25. Ch 24:It's the Little Things That Matter

24\. It's The Little Things That Matter

**_We are all a little weird, and life's a little weird. An when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness. And that's called love. - Dr. Seuss_**

Aaaannnndddd I'm back, my faithful readers! I apologize for the delay in getting this chapter out to everyone, but I have a very good reason for it. My wife and I have joined the Foster Care program in our state, and three weeks ago they placed a 10-year old girl in our home. She's a wonderful child, but she's also a constant ball of energy who doesn't take afternoon naps and insists that it's my job to keep her entertained.

On a side note, I'm now buying wine by the case instead of by the bottle.

As always, I'd like to thank fellow author **Titokhan** and my anonymous beta for all their help and support. You guys are the best and I couldn't do this job without you. Well, I probably could - but it would be a lot harder.

So let's go straight to my usual section of shout-outs and credit where credit is due:

**Kingswriter:** The Naruto/Hiashi conversation was written with you in mind. I had planned on having this happen anyway, but I made some changes based on your review. I hope you like the result.

I would also like to say that the design of the sword Freyja uses is based off of the **Kit Rae Avoloch Mithrodin Edition sword.**

**TheMachine5499:** That was a great idea, and when I use it you'll get credit. Thank you very much!

**Arcana37210:** Okay, a lot of this chapter is dedicated to you for the simple reason that you made a very good point. The previous chapter I really should have expanded on the meeting in the Hokage's office between Guy, Kurenai and Naruto but I was so eager to just push the chapter out that I summarized it. So, in this chapter I added several parts that expand on the interaction between some of the characters - the scene between Naruto and Hinata in the bedroom is one of them. Hence the title, because it really is the little things that matter.

A very big shout-out to **Sunrise Moon 2** for all of your reviews. People like you are an inspiration to writers like me. Thank you so much!

And by the way, why aren't more writers using Dropbox? That way, if your computer crashes you've still got a copy on the cloud. Just saying.

Okay, let's get a move on with the disclaimer! No one got the one from last chapter, so I thought I'd make this one easier to recognize...

**_Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto. And I want answers about Naruto and Hinata in the manga._**

**_Masashi Kishimoto – You want answers?_**

**_Disclaimer – I think the readers are entitled to them._**

**_Masashi Kishimoto – You want answers?_**

**_Disclaimer – I WANT THE TRUTH!_**

**_Masashi Kishimoto – YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH! (+1 if you get the reference)._**

* * *

Chapter 24 – It's The Little Things That Matter

"I want you to retire as head of the Hyūga clan…and name Neji as your successor."

Hiashi froze with his tea halfway to his lips when he heard Naruto make his statement. "I don't think I heard you correctly, Naruto. Did you actually just ask me to retire and name Neji as my successor?"

Naruto nodded, calmly sipping his own cup of tea. "Yes, I did."

"The way you said that statement sounded more like a command and less like a request." Hiashi said, bristling a bit. "Is that the way you intended it?"

Naruto frowned. "I'm…sorry about that, Hiashi." he said apologetically. "It was a poor choice of words, and I didn't mean to come off sounding like that. I know I can sound rough sometimes, and I'm trying to work on that – but there's times I backslide." He looked sympathetically at his father-in-law, the barest hint of a smile appearing on his lips. "I'm sure you know what I'm talking about."

Hiashi narrowed his eyes and glared at Naruto, suddenly on the defensive. "Actually, I don't. Could you be a little more specific?"

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Oh come off it, Hiashi. You and I have talked what – maybe eight times since I've been back in the village, not counting the wedding? Even someone like me can tell you've been trying to thaw that stiff, frozen, unfeeling Hyūga personality ever since you found out the truth about Hinata and Hikaru." Naruto mirrored Hiashi's glare. "But it's a hard habit to break, isn't it?"

Hiashi continued to stare at Naruto, wondering what the point of having this conversation right now might be – but all he could think about was that perhaps Naruto wasn't asking the question as his Hokage, but maybe as someone who understood the problem he was struggling with.

He sighed heavily and dropped his gaze to stare at his tea. "You have an uncanny way of being able to see through the apathy we Hyūga show to the public, Naruto. If I didn't know better, I'd swear you possess the Byakugan – but you **are** correct when you say it's a hard habit to break." His head came up slowly, his eyes questioning. "It may be a bit out of line to ask, but…what was it that made **you** like this? My wife's death affected me in ways I could never imagine. In the years afterwards I became very cold and distant towards everyone, including my own children. I decided it was…safer not to feel any emotions. That way I couldn't be hurt again. I know that's why it's so difficult for me to make a change, but you were never like this as a child. This is not the young man I remember from the chūnin exams who swore to defeat Neji as a promise to my daughter – this is someone else entirely. So…"

Hiashi purposely left the question open-ended, giving Naruto the option of either answering or letting the matter drop. It unnerved him in more ways than one when Naruto's expression turned dark, and he flinched mentally as the young man gave him an answer he wasn't expecting to hear.

"Training sessions that sometimes were so difficult, I'd cough up blood for days afterwards. Eight years of suicide missions, trying to end my life in a variety of ways." Naruto closed his eyes and shuddered as memories came floating to the surface. "Ever seen a demon rip someone apart with their teeth? I have, on two occasions. They were my teammates – part of a squad that I was responsible for." He opened his eyes back up, and his look was so intense that Hiashi blanched. "I've killed more than my fair share of individuals who enjoyed torturing, raping and murdering innocent people. I've cleaned up the remains of those who died for their sick, sadistic pleasure. Ibiki Morino would lose his lunch over some of the things I've seen."

Hiashi swallowed heavily. The depth of pain he saw reflected in the young Hokage's eyes sent a cold shiver down his spine. It was someone who'd seen and felt far more than any sane person should reasonably expect. It was a person who'd tested the fires of hell, seen the horrors that go along with it and come out alive, only from sheer strength of body and will.

He decided right then and there that he didn't need any further details. Some things were best left unsaid.

"And as bad as all that sounds, I'd be far worse if it wasn't for Hinata. She's the light in my darkness. She keeps my nightmares at bay. She loves me despite knowing how broken I am and I will do anything – ANYTHING – to repay her for ignoring her confession to me during the battle with Pain, and the shitty life she was forced to endure before I came back to the village to honor your 'request'. Both she and Hikaru are the most precious people in my life. I would die for them, and I wouldn't even need the space of a heartbeat to think about it."

Hiashi actually physically felt the resolve in Naruto's voice, and a lesser man would have withered underneath it. He took another sip of his tea, trying to calm his nerves from the invisible tension that still lingered.

"I…understand, Naruto. And I have to say, if there was anyone who could help you…change, it would be my daughter. She seems to have that effect on other people, but it's especially apparent with you. I wonder sometimes how she turned out like she did, despite my efforts to the contrary."

Naruto took a deep breath and let it out, relaxing the mood. "You and me both, Hiashi. I know she can help me change for the better, but I'm sure she can do the same thing for you…" He crooked a smile at the Hyūga clan head. "…if you give her the chance. Despite your…efforts, as you put it she still loves you. You're her father, after all."

Hiashi thought about that for a minute, wondering if perhaps what Naruto just said was true. He wouldn't blame Hinata at all if she hated him – she had more than enough good reasons to do so. Maybe he hadn't screwed things up beyond the point of no redemption after all. He nodded in acknowledgment, before deciding to bring the conversation back around to the original subject. "So, you were **asking me nicely** to retire and name Neji as my successor. I'd like to know the reasoning behind your request."

"Well, let's face facts Hiashi. Every time I see you, I can tell that being the head of the Hyūga clan is starting to wear on you – and the elders seem to be a big part of that. It's time for somebody young and fresh to take over – someone who can deal with those assholes on a daily basis, create positive change and unite the clan." Naruto took another sip of his tea, his gaze thoughtful. "It can't be Hinata because she's married to me, and that would be too much power in the hands of one individual. I'm not ashamed to say that she's got a huge amount of influence over me as it is. But even if that wasn't an issue, she still hasn't been welcomed back in the clan – and I know the elders are the reason why."

"Now, Hanabi could do the job. She's strong and commanding, yet still understands when to take a gentle approach. If you think about it, her personality is halfway between yours and Hinata's. She'd make a good clan head – you've been training her since birth for it – but she's not part of the branch house. If you're TRULY interested in uniting the clan, someone from the branch house would really be the best choice."

"And that brings us around to Neji. He's a prodigy and one of your strongest members. He's well respected by everyone, the branch house trusts his judgment because he's one of them, and he's at least as qualified as Hanabi to run the clan. Also, if you put him in charge it'll keep any children he and Tenten have from being branded with the caged bird seal. He's the perfect choice for the job."

Hiashi's outward appearance remained impassive but inwardly he was astonished. Naruto had obviously put a lot of thought into this, and his logic was unassailable – but there was still one problem, and it wasn't something that could be easily dismissed.

"You make an excellent argument but you're forgetting something, Naruto. It's because Neji is part of the branch house that I can't name him as my successor. As long as he's branded with the caged bird seal, he won't be allowed to lead the clan – despite how qualified he is."

"What if he wasn't?" Naruto asked, smirking as he sipped his tea again.

Hiashi blinked in confusion. "Wasn't what?"

"Branded with the caged bird seal. If he didn't have it, could you make him the clan head?"

Hiashi thought he was confused before, but this was a whole new level. "Naruto, no one knows how to remove the caged bird seal. The knowledge has been lost for generations." He stopped, a sudden realization coming over him. "Unless you know of someone _who can?"_

"Hiashi, I can honestly say that as of right now, I don't know anyone who can remove the caged bird seal."

"How do I know you're not lying to me, Naruto?"

"Other than the fact that I'm a horrible liar? Go ahead and activate your Byakugan and ask the question again. You'll see I'm telling the truth."

Still skeptical, Hiashi did just that. Naruto's answer was exactly the same, so he was certain the young man wasn't lying – but that still didn't mean what he said was the _whole_ truth.

"I believe you; however this still doesn't change the fact that Neji can't be my successor. Even if he wasn't branded, the same elders that won't let Hinata back in would never approve of him leading the clan. They know the first thing he'd do is to abolish the use of the caged bird seal, and that's something they absolutely refuse to budge on."

"And that's why you should name Neji as your successor right now, Hiashi. There's nobody who can remove the caged bird seal, so writing up an agreement and getting the elders to agree to it will be easy – they'll approve it out of sheer overconfidence, because they believe it'll never happen."

"I still don't know if they'll agree to it, Naruto. But assuming for the moment that they do, it won't make a bit of difference because there's no one who knows how to remove the seal."

Naruto's mind was racing. Hiashi was objecting to Neji becoming the clan head out of sheer disbelief that it could ever possibly happen. He needed to find a way for Hiashi to consider the possibility without revealing anything.

"How about this? Tell the elders that if nothing changes within a year, you'll name Hanabi as your successor instead. As to the rest, well…" Naruto shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "…you never know what the future might bring."

Hiashi was no fool – with that last statement, he realized that Naruto was being intentionally vague, along with purposely omitting information so that he wouldn't have to lie to the elders if they start asking pointed questions. However, before he had a chance to say anything else the door opened and Hinata walked hurriedly in.

"Naruto-kun, what…" She froze upon seeing Hiashi in the office; her expression a mixture of surprise and embarrassment, worried that she had barged in on something private. "Oh, I…I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were in a meeting. Mina must have stepped away from her desk for a minute, and…"

"It's okay, Hinata. Your father and I were just having a friendly chat, that's all." Naruto said casually, deferring suspicion as to how important the subject of the conversation was. He glanced at the clock. "I wasn't expecting you for another thirty minutes. Didn't the ANBU I sent to get you say that I'd like to see you at ten o'clock?"

"Yes she did, but I…I got a bad feeling. Like you were hurt and in pain for some reason." Hinata said, rubbing her right hand where the seal was hidden. "I got scared that something might have happened, and I…I hurried right over." She looked away sheepishly. "I'll come back in thirty minutes at the proper time…"

"It's not a problem, Hinata – really it isn't. Your father and I were almost finished, anyway. Why don't you come in and join us, and I'll tell you why I needed to see you."

Still hesitant, Hinata wondered silently if she should accept the offer until Naruto gestured invitingly at the empty chair in front of his desk. She nodded, closing the door before walking over to sit down next to her father.

"I went to the hospital yesterday and talked with Shizune nee-chan. She told me that with you being pregnant and all, you'll need to stop any stressful physical activity that you might be doing. That means no more training sessions with Kakashi-sensei or Tsunade."

"I know you'd go stir crazy just staying home with nothing to do all day, so I thought I'd give you a chance to do something else. I'm going to have Iruka-sensei and Mina work on a new curriculum for the academy – you know, something that focuses more on physical training and less on boring lectures."

"The problem is that he's going to need some time off to work on that, and I also wanted to give him a much needed vacation, since he's been teaching for what seems like forever." His eyes twinkled in amusement, because he had an inkling as to how she would answer his next question. "So, would you be interested in being a substitute teacher for the next several months? You wouldn't have to do anything physically demanding, and you'd get to spend more time with Hikaru until the baby comes."

Hinata's face lit up and she smiled brightly, elated at the thought. "I think that's a wonderful idea, Naruto-kun. I'd be happy to teach at the academy until the baby is born."

"Great! I'll speak to Iruka-sensei about it on Monday." Naruto's smile diminished a bit, but didn't disappear entirely. He stared pointedly at Hiashi for a moment, before his gaze flicked quickly over to Hinata – twice in the space of a few seconds – before settling back on Hiashi.

Hiashi understood the subtle hint Naruto was giving him. He took a deep breath and let it out, before turning his head towards Hinata. "Daughter, do you…have any plans for the rest of the morning?"

Hinata stared at her father, astonished at his casual tone of voice. She couldn't remember very many instances in her life of hearing him talk like this – especially to her.

"I have nothing pressing at the moment, father. Why do you ask?"

"I was wondering if perhaps you would like to…accompany me to that tea house you seem to enjoy so much. I was thinking we might spend some time together and… talk for a little while."

Hinata was almost at a loss for words. This was a side of her father she'd never seen before – he wasn't cold, unforgiving and unapproachable. Instead he seemed inviting and almost…pleasant to be around. It was a welcome change, and she wondered if Naruto had anything to do with it.

She smiled warmly, and her eyes grew moist with emotion. "I would like that, father. Very much."

Naruto stood up and said, "Then I guess we're done here. Hiashi, stop by sometime next week and let me know what you've decided. And Hinata, I'll see you at home tonight." He grinned and motioned them out of his office. "Now get going, you two. I have a full day ahead of me and my paperwork won't magically do itself."

The two of them made to leave the office, but just before Hinata walked out the door she turned to look suspiciously at Naruto, who was staring back at her with feigned innocence. She knew right away that her husband had EVERYTHING to do with what was happening right now.

As the door closed behind them, Naruto sat down and began to rub his temples, knowing he'd only delayed the inevitable. His wife was almost certain to interrogate him later about what just took place, but there was no way he could tell her what was going on. He'd have to use the 'private Hokage business' excuse, which he hoped Hinata would understand and not ask any more questions about… but he wouldn't bet on it.

"Well, the ball's in your court now, Hiashi. I've given you the nudge to get things moving, just like Kakashi did for me. This may be your best chance to start making things right with your family, and I pray to Kami you don't screw it up."

* * *

Naruto had no idea how right he was.

After a long, grueling and exhausting day, he dragged himself through the front door of his house around nine o'clock at night. Even though tomorrow was Saturday, no one was up and the house was eerily silent. His only thought was maybe everyone else had just as bad a day as he'd had.

He hoped Hinata didn't fall into that category. With everything he'd done behind the scenes, he'd hate for things not to work out with Hiashi. That would basically be like saying he'd wasted both his time and effort these past few months.

He opened the door to the bedroom and noticed the light was still on. Hinata was sitting up in bed, eating what appeared to be a sandwich made with… well, he really wasn't sure. He could see some sort of meat but it was slathered with a thick layer of something white.

As soon as she saw Naruto her face lit up. "Hello, Naruto-kun. You're home rather late. I'm guessing your day didn't improve after father and I left your office."

"You don't know the half of it," Naruto groaned wearily. He pointed to her sandwich. "What's that you're eating?"

"Oh, this? It's just baloney, sardines and marshmallow fluff on pumpernickel bread. Nothing special."

Now, Naruto was known far and wide in the Leaf Village for having a cast iron stomach, but even HE would have balked at making such a horrid concoction. He could almost feel himself turning green, and he wasn't even the one eating it.

"What in the world possessed you to make something that, Hinata? Let alone eat it?"

Hinata shrugged and took another bite. "I just had a weird craving for it, that's all."

That settled it. Naruto decided that tomorrow, he's send someone to bring Sasuke to his office along with every single pregnancy book his brother owned. There had to be **something** in there that covered this – along with the rest of the insanity that was sure to come. He decided to change the subject before he got sick from hearing of every other food nightmare she'd been dreaming up.

He sat down on the edge of the bed, facing away from Hinata so he didn't have to watch her eat and began to undress. "So, how did things go with your dad this morning?"

"Actually, rather well." she said after a brief pause. Naruto could only assume she'd taken another bite. "Even though he seemed awkward at times, our conversation was rather pleasant. He was interested in quite a number of things, from my training with Kakashi-sensei to the teaching job I just accepted. But most of all, he wanted to know how I was feeling now that I'm pregnant – and about Hikaru."

"Wow…that's really great." he said, pulling off his socks and shoes. "It sounds like he finally realizes that he hasn't been the best of fathers and he's trying to turn over a new leaf."

"Yes, that's what I thought as well." Another pause, which probably meant another bite. "How did you do it?"

"How'd I do what?" Naruto asked innocently, as he removed his shirt.

"You know what I'm talking about, Naruto-kun. My father is suddenly interested in me, Hikaru and our future child. He even asked if I had any news about Hanabi and Tenten." Another pause…Kami, wasn't she finished with that sandwich yet? "To say I was blindsided by this is an understatement, and let's not forget he was in your office today. I have my Byakugan activated so I can tell if you're lying, Naruto-kun. What was it you said to my father that caused him to ask me to tea this morning?"

Naruto sighed, silently cursing himself. He hated being right about things like this when it came to his wife, because there was no answer he could give her where he didn't get blamed in some way or another. If Kakashi or Sasuke were here they'd be laughing their asses off at him right now.

"Are you done eating your sandwich?"

"Yes, I am. Why?"

He turned around to see Hinata staring intently at him with Byakugan eyes; her hands folded neatly in front of her and her lips pressed into a thin line. As much as he loved her, there were times when Hinata could be downright scary and this was one of those times.

"I can't tell you what I was talking about with your father this morning, Hinata. It's private Hokage business."

She leaned in towards him, her eyes scrutinizing every movement of his face. "All of it?"

Naruto realized she wasn't going to let this go, but he needed to put a stop to this line of questioning before he let something slip. Luckily enough, he knew that half-truths worked against the Byakugan. He wouldn't be lying, he just wouldn't be telling her everything either.

"Hinata, I swear to you that what I was talking about with Hiashi this morning involved private Hokage business. It's something only he and I know about, and I can't discuss it with anyone else." He made sure his tone of voice was gentle, yet firm – no sense in upsetting her any more than necessary.

"Now, can we please talk about something else? Like, how the rest of your day went? Or how Hanabi and Tenten are doing? Didn't you see them…"

Concerned, he stopped in mid-sentence. Hinata hadn't moved an inch but her face was now paler than it usually was.

"Are you okay, Hinata?"

She swallowed, but otherwise remained very still. "I…I suddenly don't feel very good, Naruto-kun."

In an instant he was next to her, placing his hand protectively over her stomach. "Is something wrong? Is it the baby? Should I bring you to the hospital? I have a Hiraishin seal there, I can…"

That was as far as he made it. Without warning, Hinata pitched forward and vomited in his lap. He tried to avoid it, but she was far too close – although after the first wave, she slapped her hand over her mouth and sprinted into the bathroom to continue emptying the contents of her stomach into the toilet.

He silently cursed himself as he sat there with his arms spread apart. He should have seen this coming, considering what she just ate.

"Wonderful. A perfect end to a shitty day." he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Despite his current level of frustration and exhaustion, he was still sympathetic towards Hinata and her condition, so he set about stripping the rest of his clothes off, as well as the sheets on the bed so that he could put them in the wash. Hinata was in no position to help him out right now, and he hoped she'd be done throwing up by the time he came back to use the shower.

He threw on a robe and gathered up the pile of laundry, remarking to no one in particular, "Only eight more months to go. Life just **DOESN'T** get any better than this."

* * *

*****Timeskip – 6 Days Later, Friday Afternoon*****

_Knock, knock, knock._

"I'll get the door. That's probably for me." Hinata shouted to the rest of the house. Iruka was due over that afternoon once classes at the academy were done for the day. She needed to go over the lesson plan with him for when she began her substitute teaching job on Monday.

However, when she opened the door she was surprised to find someone else besides Iruka standing there.

"Kakashi-sensei? What brings you here today?" she asked worriedly. "I hope you're not upset with me about missing our daily training sessions this week. I was sure Naruto-kun said he was going to talk with you about that…"

Kakashi eye smiled. While she had made quite a bit of progress during their time training together, Hinata still had moments where she was still the same shy, nervous girl from before. It was probably one of the reasons why Naruto loved her so much. "Calm down, Hinata. Naruto did speak with me and I'm certainly not upset with you. Your condition takes top priority, but in all honesty I'm not here to see you."

"Oh? Then why are you here?"

Kakashi coughed nervously. "I, uh…I was hoping to talk with Freyja."

A slight smile appeared on Hinata's face. It had only been two weeks since the incident at training ground twenty-six. News had traveled quickly throughout the village as to what Freyja had done to Kakashi – the only thing that hadn't been revealed was what Kakashi looked like underneath his mask, but the only two people besides Freyja who knew weren't talking for some strange reason.

She figured it would be at least another month before Kakashi got over his embarrassment and came by to see Freyja, but with such a short time passing, Hinata could tell he cared more about Freyja and less about how embarrassed he was. In a way, the situation reminded her very much of when she and Naruto were young – even the part about Kakashi following Freyja around for several weeks.

_Following, but not stalking. Certainly not stalking._

"Hang on and I'll get her for you." Hinata said impishly. She shouted into the house, "Freyja! There's someone here to see you!"

"Can you tell whoever it is to wait a minute?" came the reply. "I'm getting Reira into a clean outfit!"

"Would you like to wait inside, Kakashi-sensei?" Hinata offered, stepping aside and gesturing into the house.

"Ah, no…" he said awkwardly. "I'll just wait here, Hinata – but thank you for the offer."

"Suit yourself," Hinata said, walking back inside and leaving him alone at the door.

After a couple of minutes, Freyja appeared at the door with Reira in tow, her face lined with frustration. Apparently it had been a very trying day.

"Kakashi? What're you doing here? Did Gabriel send you to get me, or something like that?"

"Um, no." Kakashi said awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head. "I came by to ask if you would give me a rematch."

"A rematch? Why?" she asked curiously. "Don't tell me you're still hung up on taking me out on a date."

"Well to be honest, yes I am. Look, I…I really like you Freyja, and I figured if I tried again I might beat you this time. Then I could take you out to dinner, and…"

Freyja held up her hand, silencing him. "Kakashi, I don't think it would make a difference. Do you really believe you have a chance of beating me? And give me an honest answer."

"I think I have as good a shot as anybody else – better than that, actually." Kakashi said obstinately. "I'm not fighting you for some weird sense of pride; I'm doing it because I want to take you out on a date. What better motivator is there than romance?" Feeling embarrassed after that last statement, Kakashi dropped his gaze – and saw Reira staring back at him, her eyes wide like she just saw something she should have noticed before.

"I would say your life being on the line is a better motivator, but I don't feel like arguing your point." Freyja said, before sighing despondently. "Look, Kakashi. I appreciate how interested you are in me. It's actually kind of flattering, but…"

"Mom." Reira said, tugging on Freyja's hand that was still holding her own.

Freyja glanced down at her daughter disapprovingly. "Reira sweetie, I was talking. It's not nice to interrupt people." She looked back at Kakashi, who was staring at her with a painfully sad look on his face – well, what little she could see of it anyway. She knew her next statement would rip his heart out, emotionally speaking – it wasn't something she wanted to do, but she had rules about this sort of thing…

"Like I was saying, Kakashi – it's really flattering you'd go so far for someone like me. And let's face it – it's not like you aren't good looking, either. It's just that…"

"Mom!" Reira said again, this time much more insistent.

"Honey, what did I just say?" Her daughter was certainly trying her patience today. "It's very rude to interrupt someone while they're talking."

"I know Mom, but this is important!"

Freyja rubbed her forehead, trying to stave off the oncoming headache her daughter was sure to cause. "Fine. What's so important that you had to interrupt me…**_twice?_**"

With her free hand Reira pointed at Kakashi. "Comfortable shoes!" (1)

Confusion reigned on Freyja's face for a moment, and then the realization hit her. Her eyes went wide and she whipped her head around to stare at Kakashi – who was now staring at his sandals, wondering why Reira was suddenly so fascinated with his footwear.

"You're kidding me. You've gotta be kidding me!" Freyja shouted. "Are you being serious right now?"

Reira nodded enthusiastically.

Freyja couldn't believe what she was hearing. The odds of finding out something as important as this – especially at this exact moment – were truly staggering. "Sweetie, you can't just…I mean, you know I have rules about this sort of thing. I can't…"

Reira pulled away from her mother and placed her hands on her hips. "Mom!" she said stubbornly, punctuating each word with a stomp of her foot. "Comfortable!" ***Stomp*** "Shoes!" ***Stomp***

Freyja glanced once again at Kakashi, and then back at Reira. She was still finding all of this hard to believe. "Are…Are you sure about this? Absolutely sure?"

"I know what I feel, Mom. I'm as sure about this as I am about Hikaru-kun."

Once last time, Freyja glanced at Kakashi and then back at Reira. This was unfamiliar territory; something she wasn't emotionally prepared for and had no clue how to handle. Reira's words left her feeling unsure of herself and very confused – probably because this was something beyond her control – and she didn't like things in her life that she couldn't control.

"Reira, I…I don't know what to say. You'd know better than me about something like this, because you can feel what I can't. So, I'm…I mean, I'll let you make the decision about this because I don't…I mean, I can't…" She took a deep breath, trying to calm down and steady herself. "I…I just don't know what to do right now."

Reira nodded, understanding in an instant what her mother was trying to say in her jumbled mess of words. She turned, crossing her hands defiantly in front of her chest and gave Kakashi a piercing stare.

"Okay, mister Hokage person. You gonna be nice to my mom? And treat her right?"

Kakashi found it somewhat funny, and also a bit odd that he was now negotiating with a six year old. "I planned on it, yes."

"And will you buy her nice things? Like flowers, and jewelry and stuff?"

"If your mom wants stuff like that, sure. I don't see her as a flower or jewelry kind of person, though."

"She is if I say she is!" Reira argued.

"Okay, okay." Kakashi said, holding up his hands in mock surrender. "You win. I promise to do things like that."

"What about me? Will you treat me nice, and take me to the park anytime I want? And buy me candy and ice cream whenever I ask for it?"

"REIRA!" Freyja shouted, horrified at the audacity of her daughter.

Reira huffed, before sticking her lower lip out and pouting. "Okay, no candy or ice cream. But what about the park thing?"

"Er, sure. I'll take you to the park whenever you want."

Reira tapped her chin thoughtfully, purposely stretching the moment out. "You know what? I'm good with that. You can go ahead and date my mom, and take her out tomorrow night for dinner. Make sure it's someplace really nice. I'll stay home with Hikaru-kun." Reira broke out in a grin. "And I wanna go to the park **now**."

Kakashi was dumbfounded. Not only had he just been told he could date Freyja – by her own daughter nonetheless – but he was immediately being thrust into the role of babysitter. And he was still wondering what the hell that whole 'shoe' thing that went on between the two of them was.

"Now? You mean, like right now?"

"Yup. And I want a piggyback ride there."

Kakashi looked at Freyja expectantly – not only for permission to take Reira to the park, but also to see if after thinking about it, she changed her mind about…well, everything.

Freyja shrugged. "The park is fine. And you can go ahead and give her a ride if you want."

Even though that he was being forced into servitude by Reira, Kakashi was privately overjoyed with the result of the conversation. He knelt down so that Reira could hop on his back, and he began walking towards the park with Freyja following behind.

After a minute Reira tapped him on the shoulder and asked, "Why are you going so slow? I know you're faster than this. Let's run there!"

Kakashi looked questioningly at Freyja. "That okay with you?"

"Yeah." She glanced back towards the house. "You know what? I just realized I forgot to tell Hinata where we were going. You guys go on ahead and I'll catch up."

Kakashi nodded. "Okay, hold on." he said to Reira, and then took off down the street at a brisk pace. Freyja stayed where she was and watched them fade into the distance, as she heard Reira's voice carry over the people talking on the street.

_"Faster horsey, faster! Run faster!"_

Freyja didn't head back toward the house immediately. It had been a bit of a white lie; she was still going there but she needed a moment to think. In the space of fifteen minutes she'd gone against one of her longest standing principles, simply because her daughter had a skill that she didn't, and could tell something about a person that she couldn't. She was placing her entire future in the hands of one little girl – one who was very smart for her age, but was still a little girl nonetheless.

Even though they were already out of sight, Freyja could still hear Reira giving Kakashi commands.

_"Whee! Now jump over that building! The tall one!"_

For the first time in a long time, a genuine smile appeared on Freyja's face. Maybe this wouldn't be such a bad thing after all. Having someone strong to take care of Reira was certainly important, but if the guy treated her like shit what was the point? That's how it had been with Gideon, and it's the main reason why she kept Reira hidden. She also did it because she knew Gideon would use Reira as leverage to get her to do whatever he wanted – and despite her code of honor, she was nobody's bitch.

Reira was the most important thing in her life, and she'd do whatever it took to make sure her daughter was happy and safe. But why couldn't she be happy and safe too? She _deserved_ it. She _earned_ it.

Konoha and its people – especially Gabriel, Hikaru and Kakashi – would protect Reira until their last breath. _She knew it._ And now thanks to her daughter, maybe she'd found someone who could make **her** feel happy and safe as well.

* * *

It was six o'clock on Thursday night and Hikaru was sitting alone at his desk, pouring over his notes and drawings regarding the caged bird seal. This thing had been a major pain in his backside so far, but it was still WAY better than being at the academy over the last few days…

**_***Flashback – Monday morning***_**

"Where do you think Iruka-sensei is? He's never late for class."

Takamu shook his head. "I don't know. Maybe he got sent away on a mission or something."

"Idiot!" Nishi exclaimed. "They don't send academy teachers out on missions!"

"Maybe he's sick." Kiyomi said absently.

"Even if he was sick, they wouldn't just leave us here all day." Yukio said. "They'd send someone else to teach the class."

"You are correct, young lady. They did send someone else to teach the class."

Everyone turned in the direction of the voice and saw Hinata standing in the doorway, carrying a stack of papers. Her twinkling eyes and sly grin told them she was enjoying how confused everyone was – especially one young man in particular.

"Mom?" Hikaru said incredulously. His jaw dropped as he stared at his mother in disbelief. "What're you doing here?"

"Close your mouth, Hikaru. You'll attract flies like that."

He snapped his jaw shut as the rest of the class chuckled softly.

"And to answer your question, I'm your new substitute teacher." She looked around at the class. "Everyone, please take your seats."

Hikaru continued to stare at his mother in stunned confusion as he followed his classmates and took his seat.

"Now, I'm sure you're all wondering what happened to Iruka-sensei. The Hokage has given him a special project to work on, as well as a much needed vacation, so he'll be gone for the next several months." Hinata set the stack of papers down on the desk and placed one hand protectively on her belly. "And as I'm sure many of you know from the words I asked Hikaru to paint on the Hokage monument a few weeks ago, I am currently pregnant."

"I've been informed that until Hikaru's baby brother or sister is born, I can't engage in any type of strenuous activity – that means no missions or training of any kind, either in or out of the village. So the Hokage offered to have me teach this class until Iruka-sensei finishes his project or my condition makes me unable to do so, whichever comes first."

"I'm very much looking forward to this, and while I'm here you will all address me as Hinata-sensei. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Hinata-sensei." A chorus of children's voices responded.

"Yes, Mom." Hikaru said dejectedly.

Hinata quirked an eyebrow. "Hikaru, I'm not going to make you use my first name, but while we are here at the academy you will address me as Sensei, just like the rest of the class."

"What? Why?" He said incredulously. "You're my mom!"

"I most certainly am, but that doesn't entitle you to special treatment. While we're at the academy, you will address me as Sensei. Is that clear?"

Hikaru sulked a bit. "Okay."

"Okay what?"

He groaned in annoyance. "Okay, Sensei."

"Thank you, Hikaru." Hinata turned and began writing today's lesson on the chalkboard. "What we're going to be learning and working on for the next few weeks is advanced chakra control techniques."

With Hinata's back now facing the class, Hikaru rolled his eyes and buried his face in his hands, clearly depressed about the entire situation. At the same time, his friend Shiga was laughing silently and pointing his hand mockingly at Hikaru, while his dog Takamaru lolled his tongue out of his mouth in amusement.

"Hikaru?"

His head snapped back up. "Yes, Mo…I mean, yes Sensei?"

Hinata continued to write on the chalkboard and without missing a beat she said, "Please don't roll your eyes at me. And tell the Inuzuka boy sitting to your left to stop ridiculing you and pay attention."

**_***End Flashback***_**

That day had been a very sobering experience for his classmates as they had gotten an up close, firsthand experience with an advanced user of the Byakugan – someone who, for lack of a better term pretty much had eyes in the back of their head. There was another girl in his class, Hitomi Hyūga who also had the Byakugan but it wasn't nearly as good as his mother's.

But if he'd been paying better attention he would have realized that the entire scene was a hint of things to come.

_Dire, ominous, embarrassing things that he couldn't avoid because his mother was involved._

Before he had a chance to ponder it any further, there was a knock at the door and his father walked in.

"Hello, Hikaru. Made any progress on the caged bird seal?"

Hikaru gave him a scathing look in reply.

"I'll take that as a no." Naruto said blandly, pulling up a chair. "What's got you in such a bad mood tonight?"

He gave his father a withering glare. "Mom."

"Your mother?" Naruto said curiously, raising his eyebrows. "What did your mother do?"

"Everything! You made her my teacher at the academy! She makes me call her Sensei. She's constantly using her Byakugan to keep an eye on everyone in the class, especially me. She calls on me more often than anyone else. She INSISTS on making me eat lunch with her every day, instead of letting me hang out with my friends. Have you SEEN some of the stuff she's been eating lately?" He shivered as he remembered several moments from the last few days. "And she's scary! It's like one minute she can be the kind, sweet person I grew up with and the next minute, I can picture her giving me the worst jyuuken strike I've ever had."

He heaved a sigh in exasperation. "I mean, don't get me wrong, Dad. I love Mom and I'd do anything for her, but…but everyone needs a break, right? The only time I'm not around her is when I'm working on this…" He tapped his fingers on the paperwork in front of him. "…but it's hard because Mom doesn't know about it and besides that, it's supposed to be my punishment. I…I just need a little space, y'know?"

Oh, Naruto knew. The dinner meeting almost two weeks ago had been nothing but an appetizer in the grand buffet of what was to come. The books he borrowed from Sasuke told him to expect several things – odd food cravings at all hours of the day (which he'd seen in its multicolored glory once already), water retention (which he decided to never mention, even if he saw it) and extreme mood swings (which he was secretly saving several diplomatic Hokage missions on the side for when things got to be too much) being only a few.

He completely ignored the chapter about women and their increased sex drive during pregnancy. He didn't even want to think about something as…awkward as that at this point. He almost considered ripping the entire chapter out of the book and burning it.

Either way, he was beginning to doubt his decision to put Hinata in charge of Hikaru's class but he couldn't fire her after only a few days on the job, and replacing her with someone else while Iruka worked on his project. That would be like pouring gasoline on an open fire. Despite the risk of severe personal injury, he knew he'd have to have a talk with Hinata about this.

"Okay, you make a good point. Just deal with it for a couple more days and I'll have a talk with your mother on Saturday." One corner of his mouth turned up, and his voice took on a humorous edge. "Unless of course, you'd like to get away from your mother by volunteering to watch Reira when you're not at the academy."

"UGH!" Hikaru exclaimed, cringing at the thought. "Don't even joke about that, Dad! Ever since she said she was gonna marry me, it's like I can feel her eyes watching me all the time and it's really creepy. Is this how it was when Mom was stalking you when you guys were young?"

"Well, to be honest I didn't know your mother decided to marry me when she was six years old until Reira blurted it out the other night at dinner. And as far as the stalking, your mother was pretty good at covering her tracks. I was pretty oblivious and stupid when I was young and between the two, I either didn't know or didn't care. Ramen and training were the only things I was interested in."

Hikaru suddenly perked up. "Hey, that's a great idea Dad! Do you think someone from the Yamanaka clan can erase my mind and make me oblivious, just like you were?"

"NO." Naruto said emphatically, putting an end to that line of thought. He wasn't going to turn Hikaru's mind into a carbon copy of what he was like at nine years old. The boy would just have to deal with what was going on, along with everyone else in the house.

Besides, Reira was still very young and had plenty of time to naturally change her mind. And even if she didn't, Hikaru could do a lot worse. Reira was a nice, sweet girl who seemed to care about his son a lot. She reminded him a lot of Hinata…just without the stalking aspect.

At least Hikaru knew how Reira felt about him. Naruto hadn't known until Hinata almost lost her life in the fight against Pain because she'd been too shy to tell him before that. Reira didn't seem to have that same problem.

"Let's just talk about the caged bird seal. Have you made any progress?"

Hikaru shook his head. "Not really. I've still got the problem of the modified vacuum seal working with the ingress seal we created. If I make changes to one, it won't work with the other." He pointed towards the massive stack of books in one corner of his room. "We've gone through everything in the library and in the restricted village archives, and there's nothing in any of them that'll help. We've officially hit a dead end."

Naruto narrowed his eyes and frowned, clearly unhappy with that answer. "Well, that's not going to work. I had a visit this week from your grandfather, and he's going to give my idea of putting Neji in charge of the Hyūga clan a try. He's having the agreement drawn up next week."

Hikaru's head jerked up and he looked sharply at his father. "You're asking Ojii-san to put Uncle Neji in charge of the clan? Why?"

"Because he'll get rid of the caged bird seal once and for all and unite the clan. Keeping their baby from being branded will also be doubly insured if we get rid of the seal on his forehead and make sure he's the one running the show."

Hikaru shook his head, not convinced. "The elders will never go for it, Dad. Most of them are stubborn, crotchety and hate anything that involves change. They think it defies tradition, or something stupid like that."

Naruto snorted, agreeing somewhat with his son. "Hiashi said the same thing, which is why I told him this is the perfect time to do it. The seal can't be broken right now, so the elders will vote for it because they think it'll never happen. And when we actually do find a way to get rid of the seal, they'll have no choice but to honor the agreement they all signed."

Hikaru sported a sly grin. "That's pretty sneaky, Dad. But it won't make a difference if…" His voice trailed off, as the realization of an idea suddenly came to mind. He silently berated himself for not thinking of it sooner.

"Hey Dad, can you show me that seal on your stomach?"

Naruto was taken aback. "My seal? What for? And how do **you** know about it?"

"The old lady told me about it a few months ago. It was when you left me with her before going on that mission for Hokage-sensei. She said that Minato Ojii-san made it to seal away one of those tailed beasts…the fox, I think it was."

"Kurama, Hikaru." Naruto corrected him. "His name is Kurama."

"Okay, Kurama then. I'm thinking there might be something in the seal that'll help, since he and Kushina obaa-san were the last real fūinjutsu masters Konoha ever had."

Naruto chuckled wryly. "Well, technically they weren't the last real fūinjutsu masters. Pervy-sage was pretty good too."

"Who?" Hikaru asked, confused as to who his father was talking about.

"You probably heard Tsunade call him Jiraiya. He was one of the legendary Sannin, just like her." Naruto smiled wistfully, before pulling up his shirt to expose his stomach. "He was also a rampant pervert, as well as being my Godfather. And I miss him very, very much."

Hikaru could hear the pang of regret and the ache of loss in his father's voice, and as much as his natural curiosity was egging him on to ask more about the man his father had just called 'Pervy-sage', he decided it probably would be best if he asked the old lady about it some other day.

Naruto pushed some chakra into the seal in order to make it visible. As soon as he did this Hikaru narrowed his eyes and glared at it, like he was scrutinizing the work.

"The order of the seals is off. Any why's there a gap in it?"

"A gap? What are you talking about? And what's with the order of the seals?"

Hikaru's finger began darting around the seal, pointing out various items as he continued to talk. "The order of the seals is actually very important when you're making something as complicated as this. Normally you'd put symbols with similar traits at opposing spots to balance things out, but these are right next to each other. Ojii-san must have been in a real hurry when he made this."

_You don't know the half of it, Naruto thought._

"And the space between the tiger and dragon seals is a tiny bit bigger than the rest. Those two symbols represent the most aggressive animals of the group, and putting them right next to each other focuses things like hate, anger, and rage on that one spot. It'll also make those feelings stronger so if you ever get mad or angry, they'll be worse than they normally are."

Naruto stared in awe at his son. After only a cursory inspection, Hikaru had found two glaring weaknesses in the seal that had probably contributed to his anger management issues while growing up. The fact that Kurama's emotions are stronger than any human certainly didn't help matters either.

It was also staggering to realize how far ahead of everyone else Hikaru was in fūinjutsu after only a few months.

"How can you tell that the space between the tiger and dragon symbols is bigger than the rest? Nobody who looked at it before noticed that."

Hikaru shrugged nonchalantly, as if it was no big deal. "Probably because of how many books and scrolls I've been looking at over the last few weeks. Most people would probably miss it if they weren't looking really hard. It's actually only a fraction of an inch."

"But you know what?" Hikaru asked, smiling confidently as he lifted his right hand, which began to glow a bright blue. "I think I can fix it."

Naruto's expression suddenly turned serious. "That's okay, Hikaru. I don't need you to fix the seal, its fine the way it is."

"It's not a problem Dad, really." He extended his glowing hand and touched the gap in between the dragon and tiger symbols. "All I have to do is…"

Hikaru's voice trailed off and his eyes glazed over, like he was in a trance.

"Hikaru?" Naruto asked, concerned at how unnaturally quiet his son was being all of a sudden. "Hikaru, what's wrong?"

Hikaru continued to stare straight ahead, glossy eyed for a moment before his body went limp and listed to one side. Naruto caught him before fell over.

"Hikaru!" Naruto exclaimed quietly, trying not to raise his voice so that Hinata might hear. Naruto shook him, and waved his hands in front of his son's eyes, as they stared vacantly at the ceiling. "Hikaru!"

_Hikaru was unresponsive and Naruto was panicking. This is bad…REAL bad. I don't know what the hell just happened, but I have to get it fixed and quick. Naruto thought. Otherwise, I'll have to tell Hinata about it, along with what's been going on with the caged bird seal. Maybe Tsunade can…_

**_Naruto._**

"Kurama? Whatever it is, I don't have time to talk with you right now. I need to get Hikaru…"

**_Naruto, calm down. He's in here._**

"Who? Hikaru? In where? What are you…"

**_He's in your mindscape, Naruto. Just shut up and get in here. Your rambling questions are giving me a headache._**

Still confused, Naruto laid his son down on the floor before sitting next to him and assuming the lotus position. He closed his eyes and entered his mindscape.

As soon as he appeared, he noticed Hikaru was standing there, staring up at Kurama in fascination – and Kurama was staring down at the boy in annoyance.

_Hikaru!_ Naruto shouted, running over to him. He knelt down and feverishly checked Hikaru over. _Are you okay?_

_I'm fine, Dad._ Hikaru said, embarrassed at all the attention. _But where am I? What happened?_

_Naruto sighed in relief. Thank Kami you're alright. And I don't know how you did it, but right now you're in my mindscape. That creature in front of you is Kurama._

Hikaru looked skeptically at Kurama. _You mean you're the nine-tailed fox?_

**_Indeed I am. Yet I get the sense that you are unimpressed, kit._**

_Hikaru shrugged. I don't know. Somehow, I thought you'd be bigger._

Kurama chuckled at the audacity of the boy. In many ways he was just like his father – especially his cavalier attitude. However, he decided that Hikaru needed to be taught a lesson. He spiked his power and began to swell, growing in size until each one of his razor sharp teeth were as large as the boy standing in front of him.

He brought his maw down close to Hikaru and grinned sadistically, before enveloping him in a blast of steamy, hot breath.

**_Are you impressed now? Or should I eat you to prove my point?_**

Eyes wide from fear, Hikaru rapidly shook his head. _N-No, that's o-okay,_ he stuttered. _I-I'm good right where I am, thanks._

**_Somehow I thought you'd say that._**

_Naruto rolled his eyes. Okay Kurama, can you stop scaring my son for a minute and focus? I'd like to know how Hikaru got in here in the first place. I thought only the Yamanaka clan had this ability._

**_Kurama stopped grinning and sat back on his haunches, his nine tails swaying lazily behind him. As did I, Naruto. However, if I was forced to hazard a guess I'd have to say it was a combination of factors. Between the fact that the kit carries your genetic code and he was using chakra writing in an attempt to fix a flaw in the seal… He paused and looked pointedly at Hikaru. …that should not have been tampered with in the first place…_**

Hikaru looked away from Kurama ashamedly.

**_All of these contributed to his consciousness being drawn into your mindscape. However, unlike a Yamanaka I believe the only way he'll be able to leave here is if I force him out._**

_Naruto stared at Hikaru in amazement. You were using chakra writing to modify the seal? When did you learn to do that?_

_It was in a scroll that I got from Hokage-sensei when I first started learning fūinjutsu. I thought it might be a good idea to learn it, since I won't always have chakra ink to do seals with._

_How good are you at it? Did you even have a chance to practice using it before you decided to mess with the seal on my stomach?_

_Hikaru nodded his head. I sure did, Dad. I've made several things using it, including a multi-layered storage seal for one of the pranks I used on Hiashi Ojii-san._

_Naruto raised his eyebrows. Multi-layered? What's that mean?_

_You know how you can layer genjustu on top of each other? I did the same thing with two storage seals. As soon as you touch it the first one goes off, then the next one follows about five seconds after that. I used it to cover ojii-san in fluorescent paint, and glitter shaped like little hearts and flowers. The trick is to make the pattern in the storage seals slightly different so they can stay separate, but still be written one on top of the other._

Naruto could only stare dumbfounded, astounded once again at how gifted Hikaru was at fūinjutsu.

**_All of this is BEYOND fascinating, Kurama growled sarcastically, but in the end you're missing the original point in all of this. Trust me when I say that you will not find anything in the seal that will help you in coming up with a solution to break the caged bird seal. But you should already know where you might find one._**

_Naruto's head snapped up. What are you talking about, Kurama?_

**_I'm talking about something you learned during the fourth shinobi war. The last repository for this knowledge should be your next stop._**

_Naruto furrowed his brow for a moment, before shaking his head. I'm still confused. What did I learn during the war that can help us out here? And what's this last repository you're talking about?_

**_Kurama sighed. You disappoint me, Naruto. Your Hokage predecessors, and that perverted sage you cared about so much are probably rolling over in their graves right now due to your obliviousness. Maybe that Toad Sage Fukasaku can knock some sense into you with that club he used during your training at Mount Myōboku as well._**

Naruto glared at Kurama, offended by the comment. _What's that supposed to mean?_

**_Kurama snorted in derision. You have said on multiple occasions that you're not nearly as dense as when you were younger. Prove to both me and your offspring that you're worthy of the title of Hokage. I've given you more than enough to figure out the answer on your own. He waved his clawed hand dismissively. Now, begone from my sight._**

There was a sudden surge as Kurama forced Naruto and Hikaru out of the mindscape. The two of them woke up in the real world, just in time for Naruto to see Hikaru pick himself up off the floor, groaning while holding his head in his hands.

"Hikaru! Are you okay?" Naruto asked worriedly before helping his son stand up.

"Yeah, I think so." Hikaru replied. "Remind me never to do that again."

"I don't think I need to remind you of anything. You'll remember all on your own."

"Okay, I'll give you that." Hikaru looked wearily up at his father. "Dad, what was Kurama talking about when he made those comments? The ones about the war, the other Hokage and that Pervy-sage guy?"

Naruto clasped his hands behind his back and began to pace back and forth, his mind a whirlwind of thought. "I'm not sure, Hikaru. But whatever it is, Kurama said he gave me enough information to figure it out. He wouldn't be leading me on a wild goose chase, but he's right that I should be able to figure this out on my own."

He suddenly stopped and looked solemnly at his son. "I need some time to think this through. I'm going to training ground twenty-six – tell your mom where I went and that I had to blow off some steam, or something like that. Hopefully a good workout will clear my head and give me some inspiration. I'll be back later."

And with that, Naruto vanished in a flash of yellow light.

* * *

Hikaru was in bed, just on the verge of falling asleep. It had been a long, tiring day even before the episode where he accidentally jumped into his father's mindscape and dealt with Kurama, so he thought it would be best if he turned in early.

Too bad it didn't work out that way. The next thing he knew, someone was shaking him awake.

"Hikaru."

His mind still a bit groggy, he lifted his head and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. He knew who the voice belonged to.

"Dad? What's going on? I was almost asleep."

Naruto walked over to the dresser and pulled out a shirt and a pair of pants, then tossed them onto the bed. "I need you to get up and get dressed. We have somewhere we need to go."

Hikaru threw the covers off and scrambled to put on his clothes. "It's pretty late, Dad – and I've got classes at the academy tomorrow. Where do we have to go at this hour?"

"I figured out what Kurama was talking about. We're going to see the one person who may be able to help us."

.

.

_Knock, knock, knock._

The hour was late but Tsunade was still awake, mainly because falling asleep had gotten much harder since she gave up drinking. However, she vowed that no alcohol would pass her lips until Naruto had forgiven her for everything she'd done.

It made the days seem longer and so much harder to bear. But it was nothing compared to what the most precious person in her life had endured… what she had unknowingly forced upon him… the misery and despair she had contributed to. Naruto had only seen her sparsely since he'd gotten back in the village and become Hokage – it was like he was going out of his way to interact with her as little as possible.

Not that she could blame him, of course. If the circumstances were reversed, she'd probably be doing the exact same thing. But it made her realize how much she missed her adopted grandson and his comforting presence in her life.

So she was surprised when she opened the door to find Naruto standing there, with Hikaru in tow. Both wore very serious expressions on their faces.

"Gaki… I mean, Naruto… what are you doing here, at this hour? And with your son no less?"

"Good evening, Tsunade. Can we come in? Hikaru and I need to speak with you privately."

Tsunade felt a twinge, just as she did every time Naruto called her by her real name. It was like pouring salt on an open wound; a constant reminder of her failures as a friend, grandmother and Hokage.

She moved aside and motioned for them to enter, closing the door behind them. The two of them walked over and sat down on her couch, waiting for Tsunade to join them.

She sat down in the chair next to them, clasping her hands together in her lap. "So tell me, what's so important that the two of you needed to talk with me tonight, rather than wait until tomorrow morning?"

Naruto held up his hand. "Hang on for a moment. Hikaru, could you make the room private please?" He asked casually. While he was more than capable of putting up privacy seals, he wanted Hikaru to do it in order to prove something to Tsunade.

Nodding, Hikaru lifted his right hand, which began to glow a bright blue. He leaned over, and with his right index finger he wrote two seals on the coffee table and then placed one of his hands on each seal, pushing more chakra into them. The symbols spread out across the floor and over the walls before meeting in the middle of the ceiling. However, they didn't stop there – each group of symbols continued to spread, overlapping each other until the entire room was covered in two sets of seals.

Tsunade watched the display, while several emotions ran across her face – shock and fascination being the most prominent. "What…What did you just do?"

"Modified privacy seals," Hikaru stated, grinning impishly. "Not even the Byakugan or the Sharingan can see through these."

Tsunade stared at Hikaru, her eyes wide with shock at what she just witnessed. "Where did you learn how to make something like that?"

Hikaru shrugged casually. "It's just something I came up with. One of the books Hokage-sensei gave me talked about how you can filter things like light and sound, so I wondered – what would happen if I made two privacy seals that ran opposite of one another?" He pointed to the first seal. "This one filters things in an up and down pattern, while this…" He moved his hand to the second one, "…filters them to the left and right. If someone using the Byakugan or the Sharingan focuses on getting past the first seal, they won't see or hear a thing because the second one runs crisscross to the first. Same thing happens in reverse if they focus on the second one."

"You thought up something like that all on your own?" she asked, pointing a shaky finger at the two seals. "And you used chakra writing to make those two seals. Who taught you that?"

"I taught myself. It was in a scroll I got from Hokage-sensei. He told me that Minato Ojii-san could do it, and I figured it would be a good idea to learn it, because I won't always have chakra ink around to use."

"Hokage-sensei?" Tsunade asked, scrunching her forehead in confusion. "Are you talking about your father?"

"Nah. I'm talking about the one before my dad – Kakashi." Hikaru extended his right hand towards Tsunade, palm up. "He's also the one who helped me finish my training on this."

Thinking she couldn't be any more shocked than she already was, Tsunade was proven wrong when Hikaru produced a Rasengan right before her eyes. The boy was going to be nine years old in a few months and he had already mastered a high level A-ranked ninjutsu, and she had heard rumors that Hikaru was skilled in fūinjutsu, but what she had just seen was beyond anything she could have imagined.

Still in awe, Tsunade swallowed heavily and turned her head towards Naruto. "I'm…I'm guessing you didn't come here tonight to give me a show, so…so why are you here, then? And why the need for all the secrecy?"

Naruto motioned for Hikaru to disperse the Rasengan before he answered. "The two of us – well, mostly Hikaru to be honest – have been working on trying to break the Hyūga clan's caged bird seal in order to let Hiashi retire and put Neji in charge. Hikaru came up with an idea on how to do it, but we've hit a wall and there's nothing in either the library or the restricted Konoha archives that's been able to help. But that's where you come in."

"Me?" Tsunade said, startled at what Naruto had just divulged. "From what I just saw, your son could give Jiraiya a run for his money and he was better than either you or me at fūinjutsu. What help could I possibly give you?"

"Access to your private Senju archives. Hashirama and Tobirama were at least as good at fūinjutsu as either Pervy-sage or my parents." Naruto said matter-of-factly. "I know I've been asking a lot of you lately, but this is beyond important for a number of reasons I can't get into right now. You'll have to stop giving Hinata medic-nin training anyway since she's pregnant, and Shizune can handle most of your duties at the hospital so in place of those, I need you to start helping Hikaru in whatever way you can with his research while I check the only other place that might have something useful to offer."

Tsunade crooked an eyebrow, wondering what he could possibly be talking about. "And where would that be?"

"Mount Myōboku. If there's anyone else who could help with this, it'd be Fukasaku and Shima. And besides, I still owe Gamabunta several barrels of sake and I think it's about time I paid up. Although…" Naruto closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around his torso, shuddering at thought of what was to come. "…I'm not looking forward to the food Shima is going to make for me. It may be the only stuff more disgusting than what Hinata and her pregnancy induced cravings have been coming up with lately."

* * *

True to his word, two days later Naruto had a talk with Hinata about how her mood swings were affecting the students in her class at the academy. And as expected, the conversation quickly took a dark turn…

**_***Flashback***_**

"Did Hikaru put you up to this?"

Naruto sighed, closing his eyes and rubbing his temples. "Hinata, Hikaru has nothing to do with this." It was a lie, but there was no way he was going to draw Hikaru into the discussion. And if he didn't have to look Hinata in the eyes, it'd be easier for him to lie anyway.

Not that he enjoyed lying to his wife – he hated it, actually. But sometimes a Hokage had to choose between the lesser of two evils.

"Are you questioning my ability to teach Hikaru's class?"

"Not in the least, Hinata. I'm just saying that your mood swings…"

"Mood swings?" Hinata asked, her voice going up an octave or two. "If I'm having mood swings – and I'm not saying I am – but if I was, perhaps I should remind you that I'm having them because YOU got me pregnant and I'm carrying YOUR child?"

Naruto remained silent. There was no way he was going to answer that question, or remind her that SHE was the one who seduced HIM for a week straight in an effort to get pregnant. Nope, no way in hell he was going to do that.

Hinata took his silence as confirmation that she was right. "So you agree that this is all your fault?"

More sighing. More rubbing of his temples. "I never said that, Hinata."

"Then what are you saying?" She asked, backing him into a hypothetical corner and demanding answers. "That I'm the one who's wrong? Or is it that you think I'm being overbearing and irrational?"

"Well, I…" Naruto started, before he began to feel fear creep up his arm through the seal.

She gawked at him, eyes growing wider by the second. "You…You think I'm fat and ugly now that I'm pregnant, don't you?"

Naruto opened his mouth to answer, but he was silenced instantly as the amount of fear coming through the seal skyrocketed. The feeling was so powerful that it actually caused his entire arm to go numb, and he hissed from the pain.

Her lower lip trembling, Hinata brought her hand up to her mouth and gasped. "Or is it that…that maybe you don't love me anymore, Naruto-kun?"

As soon as he heard that, Naruto decided he'd had enough. His Mienai Segi training asserted itself and he pushed the feeling of fear back, sending a massive surge of love through the seal. Hinata flinched when the force of the emotion hit her.

"No, that's **NOT** it, Hinata." Naruto said forcefully, "And I never want to hear you say something like that again. You should know by now how much I love you. What more do I have to do to prove it? And why in the world would you even say something as hurtful as that?"

At hearing Naruto say those words to her, Hinata's eyes filled with tears and she broke down, throwing her arms around his neck and burying her head in his shoulder, crying uncontrollably.

"I'm…I'm sorry, Naruto-kun. I didn't mean it, I'm just…I'm just so emotional. I know this happens during pregnancy, but these mood swings seem so much worse than what Lady Tsunade told me to expect. Do…Do you think there's something wrong?"

Naruto held her close and rubbed her back soothingly. He expected the mood swings too, but of course this was a first for both of them. He wanted to be as comforting as possible to her, because he couldn't imagine what Hinata was going through right now. He knew that seeing it and feeling it were two totally different things.

"I'm sure everything's fine, Hinata. And I'm sorry I yelled at you. I just don't like hearing you say things like that." He kissed the top of her head lovingly. "Why don't you go see Tsunade again tomorrow and let her know what's going on. Maybe she's got something that can help take the edge off – you know, like an herbal remedy."

Hinata sniffled a bit, before pulling back to stare questioningly at Naruto. "You…You really think she might have something that will help?"

"If anyone would, it's her. She's probably been through this with more kunoichi than I can count." He smiled as an idea came to mind. "Hey – how about after you get done teaching at the academy every day, why don't you take an hour or so and spend some time with either Tenten or Hanabi? They're farther along in their pregnancies than you are, so they've got some experience with what you're going through now. I think talking to them would be really good – you can ask them all sorts of questions, and besides – I think it'd be nice if you spent some time with your family."

Hinata smiled, grateful that Naruto was so concerned for her wellbeing, and it made her comments from before seem even more ridiculous, now that she thought about it. "But what about Reira? She needs someone to watch her if Freyja isn't around, and Kakashi-sensei has been spending a lot of time with her lately…"

"I'll have Hikaru do it. He's almost nine years old, and I think it's about time we gave him some responsibility." Naruto chuckled softly, and then smirked at his wife. "He IS an Uzumaki, after all. I'm sure he's strong enough to handle watching Reira if you or Freyja aren't home."

Hinata nodded in thanks, before giving Naruto a quick kiss and hugging him once again. She knew that the next several months would be an emotional rollercoaster ride, but she was happy that Naruto was here with her, helping her get through it.

For his part, Naruto was feeling a rush of guilt over what he'd just done. Two days ago, he'd joked with Hikaru about having him watch Reira, and now here he was doing just that.

_I'm sorry about this Hikaru, Naruto thought remorsefully, but your mother is going through a rough time right now with her pregnancy and we need to do something to help her out, otherwise things will get worse than they already are. Someone's gotta make a sacrifice in all of this, and unfortunately you're the only one who can do it._

**_***End Flashback***_**

* * *

The following Wednesday, Naruto decided to go to Mount Myōboku for the day, leaving Kakashi in charge. He chose the day specifically because Hinata would be teaching and Hikaru would be at the academy – there was no sense in subjecting either of them to Shima's cooking, especially Hinata. She was having enough problems with her morning sickness as it is.

Naruto purchased ten barrels of the best sake in the village for Gamabunta, setting him back about five thousand Ryo. He also forced Ichiraku Ramen to open early, so he could purposely fill himself up before he made the trip. He figured he could beg off Shima's cooking if he honestly told her he was full, so he ate thirty bowls and tipped Teuchi and Ayame generously for accommodating him.

Of course, he didn't consider that Shima wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. She insisted he eat something, and reasoned that even though he had just eaten a very big meal, he still had room for dessert.

Naruto cursed himself for forgetting such a small detail. He cursed himself even more when he was forced to eat Shima's grasshopper pie with a smile on his face – because it was made with **REAL** grasshoppers, and not those chocolate mint cookies any sane, rational human being would use.

But it was all worth it in the end. After telling Fukasaku and Shima about what he'd been up to the last nine years, how he was now Hokage and what he was trying to do with the caged bird seal they were more than happy to help, allowing him to look through their library of scrolls for anything that might be useful. As he only had a limited amount of time, Naruto created a hundred shadow clones to read through everything by the end of the day and even though it wasn't much, he was lucky enough to find five scrolls that offered some ideas. He quickly made copies of the scrolls and thanked them, promising to bring his entire family back as soon as he could.

After summoning himself back to Konoha he headed straight for the house – hopefully Hikaru would be there right now, and he could show him what he found before he went to see Tsunade later on tonight to work on the seal. Even though Naruto wished he could be there in person, he thought it would be better if he met with Kakashi about what happened today in the village while he'd been gone.

And besides…he didn't want to stay home and see what Hinata had made herself for dinner. His stomach was still doing backflips from the grasshopper pie, and he didn't think he could handle both of them being sick at the same time.

* * *

For the most part, the following two weeks passed without incident. Hinata took Naruto up on his suggestion and talked with Tsunade, who gave her a mixture of herbs to help with her mood swings. She told Hinata that if she took them along with some juice first thing in the morning, it should even things out until sometime around dinner every night.

It took a few days, but everyone who dealt with Hinata – adults and students alike – agreed that whatever the mixture of herbs were, they worked wonders. Naruto actually thought about selling it on the open market – there had to be a huge demand for something like this. Husbands everywhere would buy the stuff by the case.

Hikaru and Tsunade continued to make progress on cracking the caged bird seal. She found that even though Naruto was avoiding her – albeit for a very good reason – she was enjoying spending time with her great-grandson. But she still stubbornly refused to believe she was old enough to actually have one.

But if she wanted to have any hope of regaining Naruto's trust, she needed to help Hikaru find a way to break the caged bird seal. She knew without Naruto saying so that he had some plan in mind to unite the Hyūga clan, which was something she'd tried to do several times when she was Hokage with no success. Even if there was only a ghost of a chance of this actually happening, she'd give everything she had. The entire branch house was depending on her efforts in helping out Hikaru, and there was no way she was going to let either one of her most precious people down through all of this.

Naruto put Sasuke in charge of the ANBU, just like he planned. It was a big step for someone who hadn't been given very much responsibility in the village since Naruto convinced him to return all those years ago, but Sasuke felt he owed it everyone, especially Sakura and Mikomi to take the job. The men and women under his command would be responsible for the safety of the village, both in and out of its borders and he appreciated Naruto trusting him with something so important.

This of course left very little time for Sasuke to oversee the restoration of the Uchiha estate, since his days were now filled with mission briefing and debriefings, along with deployment strategies that Shikamaru was working on to widen the spy network outside of the village. So because of that, he decided to put Sakura in charge of the day to day operations. It kept things moving along, and it also gave Sakura a therapeutic outlet for some of her anger issues that she was still working through in her weekly sessions with Tsunade.

Regarding that, both Sasuke and Tsunade reported to Naruto that the therapy sessions were going well and Sakura was making significant progress. Even though he tried not to show it, Naruto could tell that Sasuke seemed to be having a hard time dealing with Sakura about this problem. Sasuke loved her but he had a problem openly displaying emotions. It also didn't help matters that in this case, Sakura was clearly in the wrong about a great many things she did and said.

Sasuke was caught between a rock and a hard place; walking a fine line between friend and husband. Only Naruto, because he'd been around Sasuke so much when they were younger could actually see the worry and stress on his brother's face – and he hated it, because he felt that in some way he was contributing to Sasuke's misery.

Naruto hoped that very soon Sakura would turn things around and try patching things up with everyone she had hurt. Despite how he felt about her and their history, Naruto wasn't kidding during that meeting with his classmates when he said that he didn't want Sakura to be an outcast in the village, or suffer so much that they ended up taking Mikomi away. He might be angry about everything she'd done, but he certainly wasn't heartless either – and it would make his job as Hokage so much easier if things went back to normal…or as normal as they could get right now.

Shikamaru had fallen into his new job like he'd been born for the position. In the space of only a few weeks he diffused several underground plots regarding the civilian council members, confiscated over a dozen illegal goods shipments into Konoha, arrested those responsible and expanded his network of informants to most of the small businesses in the village.

When Naruto asked him how things were going at home, Shikamaru told him that Temari still wasn't pregnant, but it wasn't for lack of trying…apparently, it was a sore spot with her that she wasn't pregnant along with everyone else. Naruto found that to be a bit weird, since Temari was the last person he could imagine being eager for motherhood. Plus, she was also getting a push from Yoshino, who wanted grandchildren in the worst way.

At that point, Naruto decided he didn't need to hear any more updates on the subject. Really, he didn't. He told Shikamaru to just let him know when the conditions of the contract had been fulfilled – and nothing else.

It was business as usual in Konoha. Most missions were completed without incident – yes, he had to deal with the occasional injury or death, but oveall the survival and recovery rate of his shinobi force was very high. The new batch of genin that would graduate the academy this year looked very promising. Life was peaceful, the villagers were happy and Naruto and his family were content.

* * *

But the same couldn't be said on the far side of the continent.

Two days travel past the western border of Suna, at the base of a small mountain range lay a cave, the interior of which was very basic and nondescript. Outside of that cave was a small clearing, in the middle of which upon a large rock sat the leader of the Mienai Segi. His legs were folded in the lotus position, his arms outstretched with thumb and forefinger connected as he began his morning meditation.

His eyes closed, Saladin lifted his head to the sky, letting the sun's rays warm him. As he did every day, he attempted to gain true enlightenment, and today seemed especially promising for that purpose.

The sky was the perfect shade of blue, and across the entire expanse there wasn't a cloud to be seen. There was no sound of chirping birds calling out to prospective mates, nor rustling of leaves as deer pared them from bushes to satisfy their hunger.

There was nothing to disturb the moment. It was the perfect example of peace and tranquility. Saladin could feel his consciousness expanding, becoming one with nature and the life energy it generated. He was closer than he'd ever been…he was almost there…

And then from out of nowhere a breeze blew across the clearing, breaking his concentration. However this was no ordinary breeze, because not one blade of grass or tree danced in it.

But one thing it did do was chill Saladin to his core – it was so powerful that he felt it in the deepest part of his bones.

He shivered, as the sensation made its way up his spine and settled on the back of his neck, making the hairs there stand on end before heading south and wrapping its icy grip around his heart.

And it was in that moment he knew. He opened his eyes and sighed, realizing he couldn't postpone the inevitable. He walked back inside his cave and headed straight for his desk, opening the top drawer and removing a special scroll he'd been saving in the event something like this ever happened.

He spread the scroll out across the top, smoothing the fabric to make sure there wasn't a single wrinkle. His hand steady despite the situation, he picked up a pen and began to write what he considered to be his epitaph, to the one person he felt he could trust with his final message.

_Gabriel…today I have felt an omen. An omen of my approaching death…_

* * *

A/N: So before anyone asks, I know I was supposed to put a part in this chapter regarding Sakura and the other kunoichi, but since I added several parts there just wasn't enough room for it. It will be in the next chapter, I promise - along with a few other gems that will really start to move the story forward.

(1) - I've had several reviews and PM's sent to me asking what this means. It's a reference to Chapter 19, where Reira says to her mother that she can tell what a person's chakra actually feels like, not just how powerful they are. Go back and check it out if you can't remember the reference (I wouldn't blame you if you didn't). It's about halfway through, right before the lemon scene.

So I think I've resolved the issues regarding Hiashi, and Naruto has given him a bit of an incentive to start interacting with his family more often. Hinata is in full swing with her pregnancy, and I WILL say that she'll experience the full gambit of symptoms in future chapters. I'll be writing about them in great detail.

Poor Hikaru... he just can't catch a break, can he? And now that he has to watch Reira... well, the writing's on the wall for his future, don't you think? And how about Reira getting Kakashi and Freyja together? Man, I loved writing that part.

So what's coming? Well, the part with Sakura where she begins to make amends with her classmates. Kakashi and Freyja will start getting hot and heavy with their relationship. Hinata keeps thinking up horrid food ideas (did everyone like the one I came up with?) And Saladin... well, it's pretty obvious what's going to happen there.

Even though I only mentioned her fleetingly in the story, I'm reminding everyone that Mina Mikon is the OC of MattWilson83. 'Nuff said.

**_Recommendation time!_** So, I'm continuing along with my theme of recommending stories that don't have that many followers, even though the writing or the story is very good. This is one of two that I've been enjoying very much lately, and it's something I stumbled upon when I checked the favorite story list of someone who recently started following mine (didn't know I did that, huh?).

So please check out **Wait WHAT! by Aqua-Zodiac.** There's a bit of angst in it, Hinata is much more forceful than she usually is and Sakura is a total bitch in the story. Fair warning, it's rated M and there's a steamy lemon scene in chapter 10... but things get resolved in the latest chapter. If you DO happen to read it, please put the story on your favorite/follow list and leave the author a review. I'm sure she'd appreciate it.

Here's the link, as usual remove the spaces and you know what to replace the stars with:

www . fanfiction . *** / s / 9907722

**REVIEWS!** Okay, sixty nine reviews for last chapter - mostly thanks to Sunrise Moon 2 and as usual, I appreciate each and every one. I'd like to see if I can do better this chapter, because I'm looking for some feedback for future chapters. So as usual, I'm pleading for more reviews. I've seen far too many stories on this website (including some I've recommended) that haven't been updated in like, forever because the motivation is gone. Reviews keep me writing, they keep me from pushing this story aside and drive me to write more chapters.

So please take a few moments when you finish reading and kindly leave a review. I do my best to reply personally to each and every one...and remember as always, the more reviews you leave the faster the next chapter gets out.

That's all for now. Take care and stay safe.

Serious Sam


	26. Ch 25: The Needs of the Many

25\. The Needs of the Many

**_Here's all you have to know about men and women: women are crazy, men are stupid. And the main reason why women are crazy is that men are stupid. – George Carlin_**

Hello everyone! Here's chapter 25 for your reading pleasure. There's a lot of stuff going on here, and it moves the chapter forward by a few leaps by addressing a bunch of items that I've left hanging for the last few chapters. We have death, danger, intrigue, humor, romance and some more pregnancy items. So without further ado, let's get to the good stuff!

As always, I'd like to thank fellow author **Titokhan** and my anonymous beta for all their help and support. Its people like you guys that make writers on this site keep going. I can never thank you enough. You guys rock!

When I started out this story, I had three goals: 500 favorites, 1000 followers and 1,000 reviews. The last few chapters have been rough, and I've had some people jump ship but I've now officially hit my last goal. I can't thank everyone enough for liking, following and favoriting this story because it really shows that you appreciate my writing and creativity, along with the effort I put into each and every chapter. All of you are the best!

So let's go straight to my usual section of shout-outs and credit where credit is due:

**Illuminated:** The bladder idea was great. I used it twice in this chapter, along with one other pregnancy item. Thanks so much!

**KingKakashi/Hektols:** Duly noted. I'll address the Kakashi/Freyja/Reira issue next chapter, because I left it out of this one purposely. There's also a reason why Sasuke is now in charge of the ANBU. And I'll tweak some of the issues with Hikaru and his fūinjutsu based on your input in the future.

**MattWilson83:** Sakura issues are addressed in this chapter. Sorry for the delay on this. Everyone else's blame in the matter comes into play later on in the story, so don't be surprised when there's none in this chapter. But I promise it'll be addressed and there's a reason why I'm doing it like this (and it came from your suggestions!)

**Lord Farsight:** Two of the Mienai Segi names in this chapter came from your suggestions. Thank you!

**Wacko12:** Your idea will be used next chapter, I promise. Sorry for the wait.

I would also like to give a shout-out to the following authors:

**weirdismyname:** I am now doing beta work on her new story, called **Sanctuary of the Wounded.** If anyone read her previous story, **Beyond an Heiress' Purpose** you know she only puts out quality stuff. There's only two chapters but I know what's coming and I think you'll like it.

**Just Retribution: Our Ninja Way** was updated in the last few days. Love this story! Check it out!

**Ayrmed:** I've recommended this one before. She just updated **Love's Never Easy**, and mentioned me and my story at the end of the latest chapter. Ask and you shall receive, my friend!

And thank you to **Aqua-Zodiac** for mentioning me in her story **Wait WHAT!** that I recommended last chapter. She updated about a week after I did. Yummy stuff!

Okay, let's jump to the disclaimer. Thought I'd go for something more recognized, short and sweet. My foster child and I watched this movie earlier this week and it brought back a lot of good memories as well as laughs…

**_Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto, but I know who does. Kishimoto? Kishimoto? Kishimoto?_**

**_Simone – Um, he's sick. My best friend's sister's boyfriend's brother's girlfriend heard from this guy who knows this kid who's going out with the girl who saw Kishimoto pass out at 31 Flavors last night. I guess it's pretty serious._**

**_Disclaimer – Thank you, Simone._**

**_Simone – No problem whatsoever. (+1 if you get the reference)_**

* * *

Chapter 25 – The Needs of the Many

Two days' travel past the western border of Suna, Perun trudged wearily along the base of a mountain range. Two weeks ago he'd finished a mission in Demon Country, quelling an uprising that sought to overthrow and kill the current high priestess, Shion – the idea being that if she were dead, there would be no one to stop Mōryō once he broke the seals that kept him contained.

Even though fighting and defeating a demon like Mōryō would be difficult, it was certainly possible for someone like him but taking down those responsible was far easier – and much more satisfying. The only thing he hadn't counted on was how widespread the 'problem' actually was. It had taken over two months to track down and kill every last person responsible. He also made sure to spread a rumor that if anyone else got the bright idea of trying something like this again, the consequences would be far more… _severe._

So after such a long mission, he was looking forward to a well-deserved vacation. A solid month in the penthouse of the best hotel in the capital of Fire Country wouldn't put a dent in the money he was going to make from this. All he had left to do was give his mission report to Saladin, collect his pay and then it was nothing but rest and relaxation for a good long while. He smiled to himself at the thought.

As he entered the cave where Saladin lived his smile vanished. Something was off. The atmosphere didn't feel right…It was tense and heavy, like someone was expecting to be attacked at any moment…

"Master?" Perun called out hesitantly. He lowered his power and stopped masking it, purposely letting Saladin know he was here. Avoiding a confrontation with the leader of the Mienai Segi would be best right now. "Master? It's Perun. I'm back from my mission in Demon Country, and I'd like to make my report. I assure you that I'm no threat…"

The silence stretched on for what seemed like an eternity while Perun waited patiently, remaining perfectly still until he heard Saladin decide whether he should stay or go. As one of the first members of the Mienai Segi, he knew what his master was truly capable of and if he said leave…_then he'd leave without question._

"You may enter, Perun." A voice boomed from the depths of the cave. "However, ensure that your demeanor remains calm. I'll consider any rise in power to be an attack upon my person, and if that happens I **_will_** respond. Do you understand?"

A bead of sweat rolled down his temple and Perun nervously said, "I understand perfectly, Master. I'm coming in."

Perun walked cautiously down the passageway, mindful of where he was. Even though he was strong, he knew he wouldn't survive if Saladin collapsed the mountain on top of him. His lightning and fire affinities would be useless against such an attack. When he finally arrived at the main area, he was startled to see Saladin standing behind his desk, palms flat on the surface.

"Please sit." Saladin instructed him, pointing at the chair in front of his desk.

Perun did so, placing his hands on the armrests, making sure to keep them in full view. He kept his expression impassive – even after noticing that the shelves behind Saladin were mysteriously empty, rather than full of the books and scrolls he'd gone to great lengths to accumulate over the years.

Saladin walked around the desk, stopping in front of the chair. "I'm going to use the Mind Submission Jutsu to a greater degree than I would normally do. There is a reason for this, which I will explain after I'm through. I highly suggest you don't resist."

Perun watched as Saladin extended his hand, placing it on his shoulder. He immediately felt pressure as Saladin invaded his mind, but this was far worse than normal. It felt like his head was caught in a vice, and someone was slowly tightening the screw.

"The two basic principles of the Mienai Segi are strength and discipline," Saladin said pointedly, his stare intimidating. "but what drives you to be the person that you are? What are the principles that guide you in your life?"

"Protect the weak and defenseless." Perun said without hesitation. "Defend the innocent. Never turn your back on those in need. Fight for the welfare of all." (2)

As Perun said the words Saladin scanned his mind, and didn't sense even a hint of malice or deceit. Satisfied, he nodded and lowered his power. He walked back around the desk and sat down, steepling his fingers in front of him and softening his gaze.

"I apologize for what I have just done, but you should know the reasons behind my insistence on being so forceful. Shortly after you left for your mission in Demon Country, I received a visit from Gabriel. He brought with him a new candidate, along with news that there is a snake in the garden."

"What?" Perun asked disbelievingly, his brows knit. "How did Gabriel find out about this?"

"Gabriel had returned to Konoha several months ago to help someone in need. While there, Anubis and his cult of followers attacked the village under direct orders from someone else. And since Konoha is his home, Gabriel took the attack rather personally. He burned the Minions of Set to ashes and scattered them to the wind, before killing Anubis using the Unstable Resonance Jutsu."

Perun stared back at Saladin, his lips pressed into a thin line. "Did Gabriel manage to find out who's behind it all before he ripped Anubis apart?"

Saladin shook his head. "He did not, nor have I heard from him since he left and returned to Konoha. My assumption is that he has nothing new to offer on the subject. However, I have been having trouble contacting other members of the Mienai Segi over the last several weeks. It's become apparent that someone is systematically eliminating those in our organization, and the only logical conclusion is that it's one of our own."

Perun slumped in his chair. "So now what? You still have no idea who or what's behind these attacks or the reasons why. But putting all that aside, you still need to let Gabriel know what's going on. If he hasn't been killed already, he's more than likely the next target."

"I'm aware of this, and I thank the Gods that you arrived here. Since you were out of range, I couldn't summon you but now that I have you here, I will need you to perform one last task for me."

"One last task? What do you mean, Master?"

Saladin sighed wistfully. "What I mean is that I am unsure as to how much time I have left. You see, one week ago I received an omen of my impending death."

"You…You actually felt your death approaching?" Perun asked incredulously. "Then why are you still here, Master? You should be hiding right now! If you stay alive, you can help us fight whoever's behind this when the time comes!"

"Perun, you must understand that what I felt is inevitable and cannot be avoided. Knowing this, I will face the threat here, rather than bring the conflict somewhere else. I will not expose the lives of innocents to the destruction that will take place. My life when compared to theirs is insignificant. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few – or in this case, the one." His gaze hardened, and he stared at Perun intensely. "But you may rest assured that I will not go quietly."

The silence in the cave was deafening, as Perun stared at his leader in stunned disbelief. It was beyond comprehension that his leader would so willingly accept his fate like this, but Saladin was closer to enlightenment than he was. He'd know what's possible and what isn't.

"What…What do you need me to do, Master?"

Saladin began to rummage around in his desk. "As of this moment, the Mienai Segi is officially no more. As I am unsure who else of our brethren are left – other than Gabriel, and whoever is responsible for all of this – I wish for you to live out the remainder of your days with some sense of normalcy. When you leave here, you are to head straight to Kumogakure and remain there, serving the Raikage by joining his forces. With your primary affinity being lightning, you will blend in best with the populace there."

"Please take these," Saladin said, placing three storage scrolls in front of him. "The first contains your pay for completing the mission in Demon Country. The others…" he said, pointing at two scrolls that bore special seals, "…are to be sent by messenger to Konohagakure. He is to ask for the man who holds the fox."

"Ensure the Raikage sends someone important and trustworthy." Saladin smirked and then finished, "Also explain that if anyone other than Gabriel tries to break the seals and open the scrolls, the contents will be destroyed… along with a large section of his village as well."

Perun took the scrolls and placed them in his satchel. A lump formed in his throat and he swallowed heavily, realizing this was the last time he'd see his master alive.

"It has been an honor to serve you, Master." He said, bowing his head in respect and admiration. "I'll never forget what you've done for me, and the many lives you've saved through your efforts with the Mienai Segi. Thank you."

Saladin smiled warmly before returning the bow and saying, "You are welcome, Perun. And the honor has been mine." He rose from his bow, and the look on his face turned solemn. "Now, please go. Complete the final mission I have given you no matter what the cost, and do not look back when you leave."

Perun hesitated for a brief moment, not wanting to leave the cave or his master. But then he realized the importance of what Saladin was entrusting to him and he moved, standing up and turning around in one fluid motion, then walking out of the cave. His stride was purposeful, and per his master's instructions he never looked back, despite a strong desire to do so.

Saladin watched him leave, realizing that he had played the final move in the game of Shogi that was his life. He prayed to whatever God might be listening that Perun would make it to Kumogakure, and the messenger the Raikage sent would make it to Konohagakure. The fate of thousands of people depended on it.

Now all that was left was to prepare for those who would be coming to take his life.

* * *

It was just about noon on Sunday, and the streets in Konoha were bustling with activity. Ino was sitting in a booth at her favorite tea house, enjoying a moment of peace and quiet. She'd just finished a mission, and for once her father didn't need any help at the flower shop. She had the entire day to herself.

It also stung a bit that it was _just her_ at the tea house. Her boyfriend Haruo had broken up with her a week ago, using the ever classic 'it's not you it's me' line. Ino figured that the usual culprits were to blame – it was either her overbearing personality, or her job as a kunoichi that caused him to leave.

Haruo wasn't a shinobi – Ino thought she'd try dating a civilian this time, hoping things would be different and everything would work out for once, but time away from him on missions had caused the relationship to end the same way every other one had.

Every relationship that is, except the one she'd had with Choji. And she'd been thinking about that very much lately.

When they'd dated several years ago, he'd confessed to her that he wanted them to be more serious as a couple, and at the time she wasn't ready for that. Despite the fact that he said he understood, she'd never really believed him – thinking she was hurting him terribly even though that was never her intention. But she smiled and thanked him all the same, happy to still have their friendship. They broke up and since then, she'd played the field and had the fun she wanted, not worrying or caring about being attached or tied down.

But with all her friends being in either long-term relationships or married with children on the way, she felt like the odd one out and because of that, her thought process was changing. She'd wanted the last couple of relationships to be less casual and more serious than what they were but of course, it didn't work out that way. Now the tables had turned – Ino was the one looking for commitment, while the men in her life didn't want to be tied down. The whole situation was laced with cruel irony.

And that brought her back around to the one good thing she'd had in her life that she'd pushed away, simply because she was a stupid, superficial idiot. Choji wasn't the best looking guy she'd dated by any stretch of the imagination, but while they were together he'd been fiercely loyal and loved her unconditionally, faults and all – and it was no secret that she had _a lot of faults._

She wanted that feeling back in the worst way…but she didn't know how to face him and ask for a second chance. The thought scared her for a variety of reasons – the biggest one being that if she bared her heart to him, he'd tell her she either wasn't worth the trouble, or that he'd found someone else. Her heart might break irreparably if that happened, even though she absolutely deserved it.

She was pulled from her musings as Tenten unexpectedly entered the tea house and walked up to her table.

"Hey Ino, mind if I join you?"

"Yeah sure, glad to have the company." Ino smiled, gesturing to the seat opposite her. "Need some help sitting down?"

"Bite me, blondie. I'm not that big yet." She did, however produce a cushion shaped like a donut, placing it on the seat before gingerly sitting down.

Ino raised an eyebrow. "Having problems?"

Tenten groaned. "Yeah. My backside is killing me."

"Not sleeping well?"

"No, not that backside. Something else."

"Like what?" Ino's prying nature couldn't resist asking for more information.

Tenten gave her a withering look. "Like the kind I can't mention in a public place. Now drop it." (1)

Ino stared at Tenten in confusion for a moment, before she realized what Tenten was hinting at. "Oh. Ah, yeah. _That_ backside. Sorry." she said apologetically, fidgeting a bit before deciding to quickly change the subject. "So, other than the obvious how are you feeling?"

Tenten scrunched her eyes and winced, placing her hands in the small of her back. "Bloated. Irritable. Sore. Add to that the fact that my bladder seems to have shrunk to the size of a walnut, and the baby seems to be tap dancing right on top of it. I've probably spent more time in the bathroom recently than I have in the last three years combined, and I've still got five months to go."

Ino winced as well. "Ouch. How's Neji been so far?"

"Surprisingly supportive. Not that he wouldn't be, but ever since that night at the hospital with Hikaru he's been… I don't know how to say it. Kinder, maybe? More emotional and attentive? It's like he had a realization that the stoic Hyūga personality isn't all it's cracked up to be, and that's not the way he wants to be towards our child."

Ino's eyes widened a bit in shock. "Wow…I didn't think something like that was possible. I've heard a few rumors floating around the village, but hearing it from you is the only way I'd actually believe it."

Tenten groaned, nodding in agreement. "Yeah, I know what you mean. It sounds like Hikaru has the exact same skill that Naruto does."

Ino knitted her brow in confusion. "What skill are you talking about?"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about, Ino. Naruto's not the happy kid we all remember – let's face it, life screwed him over big time after everything he did for us. He may have become emotionally harder, but he still has this way when he talks to people. He always knows the right thing to say. He convinces them that the impossible is possible." Tenten smirked and then sipped her tea. "Hikaru did the same thing for Neji that Naruto did during the chūnin exams. He made him change for the better."

Ino sipped her own tea, as she mulled the words over. Tenten was right – Naruto wasn't the same person any of them remembered. That day he'd summoned her, along with the rest of their friends to his office to talk about Sakura had been proof positive of that. He'd barely been trying, and he still pushed out enough power to make her blood run cold. A shiver ran up her spine as she recalled the memory.

But Tenten was also right in saying that Naruto had a way with words. He may be a bit harsher than when they were kids, but he still had this innate way of talking to people. He found solutions to problems where there didn't seem to be one. He found ways to win when there wasn't any hope.

_Maybe he could do the same thing for her regarding Choji._

Ino raised her eyes from staring at her tea to ask another question, but stopped as she saw Tenten staring straight ahead, her expression hardened. She clearly wasn't happy with whatever she saw.

"Ino…" Tenten said with a dangerous lilt in her voice, "…you're not gonna believe who just walked in."

It was only a moment later that Ino realized what Tenten was staring at because Sakura came into view, pushing Mikomi in a stroller. The baby was dressed in a light pink outfit that matched her hair, with the Uchiha clan symbol embroidered on the front. Her eyes were open wide with fascination as she played with a rattle in her hands, gurgling happily.

"Forehead."

"Hello, Ino. Hello, Tenten." Sakura said, greeting them both. Her tone and demeanor seemed very subdued.

Ino and Tenten shared a glance that was a mixture of shock and confusion. Ino just insulted Sakura, and for once Sakura didn't bite and respond by calling her 'Pig'. Not only that, but she clearly sounded contrite. Neither of them could remember the last time Sakura sounded like this.

"I was wondering if Mikomi and I could join you. I was hoping to talk with you both."

Ino and Tenten looked warily at Sakura, immediately suspicious of their former classmate and any ulterior motive she may have. It'd been a few months since anyone from the Konoha 12 other than Sasuke or Naruto had done anything beyond glancing her way when they saw her around the village. Hinata herself went out of her way to avoid Sakura completely, thinking if she saw the pinkette things might spiral out of control, especially with her emotions like they were because of her pregnancy hormones.

However, the look on Sakura's face seemed sad; almost defeated and she even sounded sincere. Ino and Tenten also knew that Sakura was having some rather intense therapy sessions with Lady Tsunade – even though that news was supposed to be private, somehow word had spread rapidly throughout the village. Some people wondered if it would even make a difference.

So maybe what they were seeing was a direct result of those sessions. They really couldn't think of a better explanation.

Tenten shrugged, not caring one way or another and giving Ino the power to make the decision for them both. For her part, Ino was struggling with what she should say. She remembered vividly everything Sakura did to Naruto, Hinata and Hikaru in her mad quest for Sasuke and his affections. But on the other hand, maybe Sakura was trying to take the first step towards making amends.

Ino decided that for once, she'd give Sakura the benefit of the doubt, hoping she didn't regret it. "Okay. Have a seat."

A slight smile adorned her mouth, and then Sakura scooted into the booth next to Tenten before reaching down to lift Mikomi out of her stroller. The baby still had a death grip on the rattle, but now she was making a serious effort to shove the whole thing into her mouth and failing miserably, drooling heavily all over the toy in the process.

Tenten's eyes lit up, and her maternal instincts kicked in as she watched the display. Mikomi was certainly an adorable child, and watching her giggle as she alternated between trying to shove the rattle, and then her fist into her mouth was one of the cutest things she'd ever seen.

Sakura couldn't help but notice how Tenten was staring at Mikomi and asked, "Would you like to hold her?"

"What?" Tenten asked in confusion, startled at the offer.

"I asked if you'd like to hold her." Sakura said, extending Mikomi out to Tenten. "You're going to be a mother yourself in a few months, so you could probably use the practice."

Tenten looked at Mikomi and the baby smiled back, her mouth full of drool and fist. At a loss for words, Tenten could only nod and extend her hands, taking Mikomi from Sakura's arms and cradling her close.

"So Ino, how have you been?" Sakura asked, pouring herself a cup of tea.

For once, Ino didn't want to engage in idle banter. She was hoping that Sakura would just tell her why she wanted to talk with them in the first place, but she'd play along for now. "Frustrated. My boyfriend recently broke up with me using the 'it's not you it's me' line, grinning like a self-absorbed shithead while he did it. I was tempted to kick his ass, but the ANBU probably would have hauled me off to jail before I finished the job."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Sakura replied. "but you're probably right about the ANBU."

"Yeah. Still doesn't mean I wouldn't enjoy myself for the five minutes before they showed up." _Now it's_ _time to ask the million Ryo question,_ Ino said to herself. "How about you? How have you been?"

Sakura sighed despondently, sipping her tea before answering. "Okay, I guess. I'm not sure if you heard, but Sasuke has me overseeing the restoration of the Uchiha compound, since he doesn't have time now that he's in charge of the ANBU." She placed her cup back down and absently traced her finger around the rim. "Helping to rebuild Mikomi's heritage and future home has been… nice."

Ino narrowed her eyes. "And how about your sessions with Lady Tsunade? How have those been going?"

Sakura chuckled wryly. "Hn. I should have realized you'd know about that by now."

"The entire village knows about it, Sakura. And for once, I'm not the one who started the rumor."

Sakura slowly took a deep breath and let it out. Ino and Kiba had always been the confrontational ones in their group, and the blonde was clearly in her element here. Ibiki Morino was very good, but no one was better at getting into someone's head – or under their skin – than a Yamanaka, and the last thing Sakura was looking for right now was an argument.

She'd hoped that having Tenten around would keep things somewhat friendly, but at the moment Tenten's focus was on Mikomi. Maybe giving her daughter to Tenten before they started talking was a bad idea.

"I can't think of anyone who would call my talks with Lady Tsunade therapy sessions. They've been very one sided – like a parent chewing out their child. She's been blunt, honest and unforgiving in her assessment of what I've done over the past several years, and to be honest I'm surprised she hasn't tried to punch me through a wall by now."

"She made me understand that I've been wrong about a great number of things. I manipulated the lives of those around me so that I could be with Sasuke. After I finally married him, every interaction he had with other people I took as an attack on our relationship, and where I stood in his life. I thought that if he didn't think about me every minute of every day, I wasn't important to him anymore."

Ino stared at Sakura stone faced, but on the inside she was shocked beyond belief. The woman in front of her had wrecked three lives in order to get exactly what she wanted. After Sasuke came back to the village she hadn't given a second thought to the pain she put Naruto, Hinata or Hikaru through. Ino would never associate the word 'regretful' with Sakura, but with the tone of voice she was hearing right now, Ino might consider it a somewhat accurate description.

"I realize now that wasn't the case. I know that Sasuke loves me and I can't take everything that happens in our lives as an attack on me personally. I've hurt a lot of people by assuming this, and I have quite a few apologies to make. I wanted to start with the two of you, since you were my classmates and at one time, you were also my friends."

Sakura raised her eyes and Ino almost flinched at what she saw – almost, but not quite. Somehow, in the space of a few minutes since she'd started talking, Sakura's cheeks had sunk and she looked at least five years older. Ino's curiosity flared anew, as she wondered what methods Lady Tsunade was using to cause such a dramatic change in someone who Ino thought up until now was incapable of it. A shiver ran down her back thinking about the possibilities – not including the one where she punched Sakura through a wall, of course.

"So I'd like to say to the two of you that I'm sorry. For everything." Sakura said remorsefully. "And I know a simple apology won't make up for everything I did, but I'm hoping it'll be a place to start."

Ino paused for a moment, and then shook her head. "I don't know if I'm ready to accept your apology, Sakura. But I don't think our opinion really matters to be honest, because Tenten and I aren't the ones you should be apologizing to in the first place. You know damn well the first person you should be pleading your case to."

"I know Ino, I know. I asked Sasuke to invite Naruto over next week to show him the progress we've made on the reconstruction of the Uchiha compound and when he does, I'm going to apologize to him as well. I figure he'll be the best place to start, since I know Hinata and Hikaru aren't interested in seeing me, or hearing anything I have to say."

Ino raised her eyebrows, both surprised and shocked. She hadn't expected Sakura to consider the idea so quickly, let alone suggest it and once more, she wondered what Lady Tsunade did to Sakura during their sessions to make her change like this.

"I'm glad to hear you say that Sakura, because you shit all over him worse than anyone else." She stopped for a moment and tapped her chin thoughtfully before continuing. "But I tell you what – I'll make you a deal. If you apologize to Naruto and he accepts it, then that'll be good enough for me. However, don't think I'll forgive you just like that. You'll still have to work at it, but I'll give you a chance if Naruto does. That sound good to you, Tenten?"

The two of them looked over at the last occupant of the booth. Tenten was still playing with Mikomi, making funny faces and talking with her using 'baby talk'.

"You are just the _cutest thing_, aren't you? Yes, you are! You have such chubby cheeks… and I bet that I can put your whole hand in my mouth! _Num num num!_"

Tenten made good on her bet, sticking Mikomi's whole hand – still covered in drool, of course – in her mouth and making mock eating noises. Mikomi gave her a toothless smile, laughing happily at the sight and sounds.

The silence at the table is what brought Tenten back around to reality. She blinked owlishly at Ino and Sakura, mortified at having been caught acting like that. The best part was that she still had Mikomi's fist stuck in her mouth.

Ino joined Mikomi in laughing at Tenten, shaking her head. "I think we've officially lost her, Sakura. By the way she's talking, it sounds like Tenten's brain has turned to mush. Getting your daughter back might be harder than you thought."

* * *

It was around three o'clock in the afternoon and Hikaru was sitting on a park bench, a stack of papers in his hands and a pen clamped between his teeth while fifty feet in front of him, Reira was playing happily on the swing set. He figured he could multitask by working on the caged bird seal while he watched over Reira for a few hours.

Classes at the academy had let out a half an hour ago, and his mother had gone to see Aunt Hanabi to talk about their feelings, or something like that. All he knew was that women were really weird, and they got even weirder when they were pregnant.

Freyja was at training ground seventeen, which was situated right next to the Forest of Death and because of that, it was a favorite among the ANBU. Uncle Sasuke asked her to spar with him and several of his jōnin ANBU, because he felt they were getting soft and could use a good workout.

And that of course, left him as the only available person to watch Reira – which he had to do because his father gave him that responsibility. At first he thought his father was still trying to punish him, but after hearing the reason why, he reluctantly agreed to help out.

He understood it… but that still didn't mean he _liked_ it. And it really didn't matter anyway, because he'd do anything for his mom. Watching Reira for a few hours was a drop in the bucket compared to what she'd sacrificed for him.

So because he was distracted by his work and not really paying attention, he didn't see the trouble that was brewing across the playground.

* * *

Reira was swinging back and forth, smiling happily to herself. She didn't think today could get any better – the sky was cloudless, the temperature was perfect… and she was at the park with Hikaru.

Scratch that… The day **_could_** get better if he was sitting in the swing next to her, rather than all the way on the other side of the playground. She wondered what was on the stack of papers he was reading that was so important he couldn't be on the swing set, having fun with her.

It really didn't matter – she was just glad to be here with him. Reira had met lots of people, both before and after coming to the village but none of them were as special to her as Hikaru. And it wasn't just because he was kindhearted and sweet… or that he was strong and very protective of her… or that he was _really, really cute…_

Most of all, it was because of how his chakra made her feel.

There were other people whose chakra felt nice – that boy Asuma had chakra that felt like a warm breeze, but nothing could compare to Hikaru, who reminded her of the summer sun.

She looked across the clearing and smiled, sighing contentedly. Just having him near her was like being wrapped in a warm blanket, and her heart would never grow cold if Hikaru was always by her side. She never wanted to lose that feeling.

"Hey." A voice growled. "That's _my_ swing."

Reira twirled around on the swing and came face to face with three boys. They looked like they were about eleven years old, and their clothes were ripped and covered in mud – like they had just finished wrestling with each other in the dirt. Then again, maybe they looked like that because they had just got done bullying some of the other children. The way they stood with their arms crossed and hands on their hips, plus the smug look on their faces certainly made her think that's exactly what they were – bullies.

Oh, and their chakra reminded her of rotting food to varying degrees. The one in the middle, who also happened to be the biggest – and the one who just talked to her – was the worst. His chakra made her think of sour milk.

"There's plenty of other swings open," she pointed out, glancing to the left and right. "Why don't you use them?"

The sour milk boy chuckled spitefully. "Oh, those are mine too. But I wanna use that one," he said, pointing to the swing she was sitting on.

"That doesn't seem very fair. This is a public park. I think I should be able to use at least one of them."

"That's too bad, because I don't feel like letting you. Now get off." he snarled, giving her a hard shove off the swing. She fell backwards into the dirt and the other two boys laughed, cheering on their friend.

Reira sat up, tears pooling in her eyes as she rubbed her sore backside. Why did they have to be so mean? She didn't do anything to deserve that and worse, there was nothing she could do about it. All by himself sour milk boy was stronger than her and even if he wasn't, there were three of them and only one of her…

"Is there a problem?"

Reira looked over her shoulder and saw Hikaru standing there, hands crossed in front of his chest. The glare he gave the bullies was cold as ice.

"Yeah, there's a problem. Blondie here was using one of my swings without permission."

"This is a public park. Those swings don't belong to you, and Reira can use any one she wants." Hikaru extended a hand to Reira, helping her stand up. His heart sank as he noticed she was silently crying. Tears were falling down her cheeks.

"Oh, is that right?" the boy asked accusingly. "And just who do you think you are, punk?"

Hikaru opened his mouth to reply, but before he got a chance Reira latched onto his arm, distracting him. The action also seemed to give her a boost of confidence and a shot of courage because she stared back at the bullies and defiantly stated, "His name is Hikaru. And he's my boyfriend."

Hikaru froze, staring at Reira in bewilderment. What did she just say? Did she just tell everyone that he was her boyfriend? He didn't have very long to think about it, because seconds later the three boys erupted into laughter, clutching their sides.

"Oh, man! Did you hear that? Did you hear what she said?"

"Yeah!" one of his cohorts replied. "Talk about robbing the cradle! Guess he couldn't find a girl his own age who likes him! HA!"

They roughly shoved each other around as they continued to laugh mockingly at him. After half a minute, the leader wiped the tears from his eyes and said, "Look, I don't really care who you are, or who she is. But I'll give you to the count of three to leave before me and my friends beat up both you **and** your little girlfriend."

That was the last straw. Hikaru decided he'd had enough of the three boys. Even if he and Reira left the park, they were sure to bully the other children, and there was no way he'd allow that to happen. He was the son of the Hokage, for Kami's sake.

"Well, how about a counter offer? I'll give you guys until the count of five to get lost." He crossed his fingers and murmured under his breath, "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu." And in a cloud of smoke, five shadow clones appeared between them.

The leader saw what happened and scoffed, clearly not hearing what Hikaru said and assuming they were ordinary bunshin. "You think you're gonna scare us off with clones? I know they're just illusions…"

That was as far as he got. One of the shadow clones stepped forward and punched him square in the face. Not expecting the clone to be solid, the boy crumpled to the ground holding his broken nose, trying his best to stop the bleeding while the other boys looked at Hikaru with a mixture of surprise and fear.

Grinning sadistically, Hikaru pointed at the three boys and exclaimed, "Sic 'em, guys!"

The fight was over before it got started. Even though the boys were older and bigger, the shadow clones outnumbered them and were clearly more skilled because of all the training Hikaru had gone through with his father and Uncle Sasuke. It took less than ten seconds before the bullies, bruised and beaten, ran off as quick as their cowardly legs would carry them.

Once they were gone, Hikaru dispelled the shadow clones and turned to Reira, wiping away the tears that filled her eyes and stained her cheeks. He couldn't help but feel like the biggest jerk in the world for letting those boys threaten her and then getting hurt. Some protector he was.

"I'm sorry that happened, Reira. I was wrapped up in what I was doing and not paying attention like I should've been. Are you all right?"

Reira sniffed a bit, nodding her head. "Yes, I am. Thank you, Hikaru-kun. And…And I'm sorry about embarrassing you earlier."

Hikaru chucked. "Don't worry about it. It was actually kind of fun giving those bullies a taste of their own medicine."

"Can…Can I ask you something?" she asked curiously after a brief pause.

"Sure. Go ahead."

The barest hint of a smile appeared on her innocent face. "Did you know that tomorrow is my birthday?"

He shook his head. "No, I didn't. I'm sorry. I never thought to ask."

"So does that mean you haven't got me a present yet?"

"Er… I guess the answer is no, I haven't." he said cautiously. He was used to her boldness by now, since they'd been living in the same house for over three months but he still wondered why she was asking. "Why? Is there something you wanted?"

Reira hesitated for a moment, chewing her lower lip in thought. "Well… I can't think of a better present than really being able to call you my boyfriend. Can I do that?"

Hikaru felt like he'd been punched in the gut. Something like **_that_** was not on his list of gift giving ideas for Reira. He turned pale, except for his cheeks which now sported a light blush. "Umm…I was thinking more along the lines of ice cream."

"I don't want ice cream," she replied firmly. "I wanna call you my boyfriend."

Hikaru squirmed uncomfortably under her gaze. "I don't think that's a good idea. I mean, you're only six years old. People might get the wrong idea if…"

He stopped as he saw her lower lip start to tremble, then watched as she gave him the 'puppy dog eyes' look. Did someone teach her that? Or did all girls just know how to do it instinctively? Tears filled her blue eyes once again, and they streamed down her cheeks as she tried to blink them away.

It was only when she started sobbing that he finally gave in. "Okay, okay! I'm sorry, don't cry. You can call me your boyfriend if it makes you happy."

"You…You mean it?" she asked, sniffling and wiping her nose with the back of her arm.

"Yeah, sure. Just… stop crying, please."

Reira's demeanor instantly turned around. Her face lit up and she smiled happily. "Thank you, Hikaru-kun!" she exclaimed, wrapping her arms around his waist and hugging him. "You just gave me the best birthday present **_EVER!"_**

The blush on Hikaru's face darkened three shades of red, and then he realized what Reira just did. He'd seen his mother do it to his father enough times to recognize it. She just used guilt to get him to agree to something he didn't want to do. And the worst part was that even though he should be mad at her for doing that, he still felt bad about making her cry!

Hikaru patted her back awkwardly. He really wanted Reira to stop hugging him because people were starting to stare, but Reira ignored them all and stayed put, her hands locked around his waist with an iron grip.

He decided he was wrong earlier when he said to himself that women were really weird. They were also **WAY** smarter than men, devious and very, very sneaky…

* * *

It was close to midnight, and Gilgamesh was walking down the tunnel of the cave where his master lived, his strides long and with purpose – which wasn't hard for someone six feet ten inches tall with a massive, muscular frame. His clothes were torn, his body was bruised, his right shoulder was dislocated and he was suffering from chakra exhaustion but none of that mattered. Gideon had told him to provide a mission report once he got back, no matter what the hour.

He wasn't surprised when he walked into the main area and saw Gideon still awake, hunched over his desk. The top was covered with maps and intelligence reports, as it had been every day for the past six months and it didn't take a genius to figure out why.

Gideon was obsessed with power – not only for him, but for the rest of the Mienai Segi he'd convinced to follow him. He wanted them to be unassailable. Anyone who thought of challenging them would cower in fear. The only thing he wanted in exchange was to be the one at the top of it all, sitting on a golden throne.

Gideon looked up as Gilgamesh approached. His brows knit as he took in the state of his second in command.

"I take it the conversation with Roland did not go well. He decided that death was preferable to joining our cause?"

"Yes."

Gideon frowned, his eyes flashing a bit of fire. "At this point, most of our brethren that haven't joined us have been eliminated. I have been unable to track down Perun, Artemis was lost during her mission in Sea Country, and Gabriel and Freyja have decided to hole up in Konoha like frightened rats. I'm certain they won't be changing their minds no matter how much we offer them."

"However, we cannot wait any longer. Time is running short. Saladin must be eliminated in order for us to establish a base of operations, so that we may grow and strengthen the ninja force that will be under our command."

"When?" Gilgamesh growled, asking how long they had before the final battle with Saladin.

"We need to accomplish this within the next week." Gideon grabbed a folded piece of paper from among the many on his desk and handed it to Gilgamesh. "Take these four with you and leave tonight for Saladin's cave. Find a village somewhere along the way with a capable healer and restore your health."

Gilgamesh glanced at the list, and then back at his leader. "Why?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.

"It's quite simple, actually. You, Tyr and Sif happen to have a primary chakra affinity of earth. When you confront Saladin in his cave, his first move is sure to be bringing the mountain down upon you all. Your earth jutsu will be able to save Naberius and Ares when that happens."

Gilgamesh stabbed a thick finger at the paper. "Two-thirds."

Gideon ground his teeth, annoyed that his judgment was being questioned. "I'm well aware that who I'm sending comprises a good portion of our forces, but it can't be helped. It is essential that we eliminate Saladin. If we cannot, the rest of the plan will never come to fruition because he will surely stand in our way."

Gilgamesh reasoned that explanation for a moment, and then grunted in agreement before slipping the paper into the tattered remnants of his jacket. "Once it's complete?"

The slight look of exhaustion on Gideon's face vanished and he grinned sadistically. "When that happens, no one will be able to stop us. We will take our prize by force. And then we build our army."

* * *

"So as you can see, the training grounds are almost rebuilt." Sasuke said, pointing towards his left. "You also probably noticed that only a small portion of the houses in the compound have been restored. That's because Sakura and I decided that section should be first, since it contains the pathway to where the Uchiha stone monument is sealed. It should be more than enough space – at least until we have more children."

Sasuke was giving Naruto a tour of the reconstruction effort on the Uchiha compound. At first, he'd been hesitant to extend the offer – not because it wasn't a good idea, but because Sakura had been the one to suggest it.

All things considered, Naruto had been surprisingly tolerant of his wife since that night at the hospital. While they'd been away from the village training with Saladin, Sasuke had asked Naruto for a bit more detail regarding the time he spent with Sakura. At first, Naruto had balked at the idea until Sasuke explained the reason was because he truly wanted to understand why Naruto snapped and left the village, hell bent on killing himself. He thought it might be therapeutic for the both of them to talk about it. Sasuke considered Naruto to be his brother, and that's what family does… They listen, they understand and they help you heal.

His intentions had been good, but looking back on it Sasuke could honestly say that he wasn't prepared for everything Naruto told him. The information had come sporadically over the two months, and Naruto displayed a wide range of emotions as he talked about each and every sordid detail. There were times he broke down and almost cried, and then there were times when he literally saw the anger coming off Naruto in waves, the angry red chakra from Kurama providing a visual representation that no one else could match.

Sasuke came to the conclusion after hearing it all that if he'd been in Naruto's place, even **he** would have sought death as an escape. Which brought his thoughts back around to the tour of the Uchiha compound.

The problem with Sakura asking for this meeting wasn't that he thought she would help alleviate the pain Naruto more than likely still felt – she was probably the catalyst for more of it. But over the last several weeks, he'd seen firsthand that Sakura was obviously making progress in her talks with Lady Tsunade. She'd become less… **_caustic_** towards both him and others.

Perhaps he was assuming incorrectly. He wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt but still…

Despite their problems, Sasuke loved his wife. He'd been trying to get better over the last few months at showing it more, especially now that Mikomi was here but more often than not it still felt…_awkward_. Naruto understood this better than anyone else… A damaged childhood translated to a damaged adult life, and it wasn't something you could fix in a week, a month or even years.

Furthermore, you had to **_want_** to be fixed. And sometimes, getting someone to take that first step was the hardest thing of all.

"I'm impressed, teme." Naruto joked. "I figured when you put Sakura in charge, she'd have childproofed everything and painted the buildings pink. But this actually looks great."

"You're not funny, dobe." Sasuke said darkly. "Sakura knows better than to do something like that."

"Really?" Naruto grinned, pointing at the nearest house. "So if I went in there, I wouldn't find one cabinet latch or outlet cover in the whole place?"

"No, you wouldn't." Sasuke replied blandly.

Naruto scoffed, waving his hand dismissively. "That really didn't sound believable. I think I should go check."

Sasuke glared at him. He knew exactly what was going on. Naruto was purposely goading him, trying to get underneath his skin like he'd done ever since they were first at the academy together. He knew Naruto was only joking with him, but it didn't make it any less annoying.

"You can't go in there. That's private Uchiha land. And that house isn't finished yet."

"So what? I'm the Hokage. I can go anywhere I want."

"Not if I break both your legs, you can't!"

"Sasuke-kun." A level voice came from behind them. They turned around to see Sakura giving them both a deadpan look.

Sakura was having a hard time concealing her disappointment. Somehow, the two of them had slipped back into the same routine as when they were younger, and she felt a pang at being left out of their friendly banter. She knew the reasons why, but it didn't change the fact that she wished she could go back in time and change things. She wanted to be friends again, like when they made up Team Seven.

She sighed forlornly, knowing that dream was now beyond her reach. "Here. Take Mikomi." she said, pushing the stroller containing their sleeping daughter over to her husband. "I'll show Naruto the house. I'd like to speak to him alone anyway."

Naruto elevated an eyebrow and glanced quizzically first at Sakura and then Sasuke, who gave him a neutral stare. A look passed between them and he shrugged, telling Naruto that he was staying out of whatever passed between them. He wordlessly took the stroller and walked down the street.

"C'mon. Let's go." Sakura said halfheartedly, walking towards the small house and Naruto hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should follow her. He'd been purposely avoiding one on one discussions with her, afraid they would turn into confrontations or all out brawls. The pinkette certainly brought out the worst in him.

But Tsunade had been giving him regular reports about the progress Sakura had been making. She didn't go into details as to what went on during their sessions, but she did say that Sakura was close to making a breakthrough and finally taking responsibility for the damage she caused.

_I'll play it cool and let Sakura do most of the talking, he thought to himself. Let's see if Tsunade is right._

"Sasuke-kun and I had several of these houses redone," Sakura said as she opened the door and walked through it, with Naruto following several feet behind her. "Early on, they'll be for people we hire to help assist Mikomi with her upbringing. After that, they'll be houses for any of our children to live in." She walked through various rooms, pointing out items that had yet to be finished. "We decided to go with something simple and more functional in these houses, rather than be ostentatious. Just the basics but they'll still be comfortable enough to live in. Everything is on a single floor, in case the occupant can't get up and down stairs easily. There'll be a spacious kitchen, living room and study. Each one will have only two bedrooms and one shared bathroom, though. Building an onsen in each one wouldn't have been in keeping with our idea of simple and functional, but whoever stays here can use the public onsen down the street, if they want."

Naruto nodded his head in agreement as he looked around. "Very nice, Sakura. It looks like you and Sasuke put a lot of thought into this. Tell me – where will the three of you be living? Two bedrooms are barely enough for you guys, and even though I know you've been living in an apartment for the last several years, I'm pretty sure you want more space than this."

"Construction on the main house started one block up about two weeks ago. It'll have two floors along with a special wing that holds rooms specifically for clan matters, including a large dining hall, kitchen and meeting chamber. It'll be about ten times the size of one of these houses, not including the private training ground and onsen we're having built out back."

"Sounds good. When do you think you'll be moving in?"

She shrugged nonchalantly, apparently not fretting over it. "We're hoping within the next two months, but there's no guarantee. It really depends on how good a job the construction crews do. We want to make sure it's just right, since that's where we'll be living for the rest of our lives."

"That makes sense, I suppose. I did the same thing with the house I had built for me and Hinata. I'm glad the foundation and walls were already there when I bought the place, otherwise we would've been stuck living at the Hyūga compound for a couple of months. I'd rather chew off my own arm than do something like that."

Sakura could tell that Naruto was forcibly making small talk with her, deliberately avoiding whatever she wanted to talk to him about and truth be told, she was feeling a bit awkward and nervous as well. Lady Tsunade angrily spat out the allegation during their sessions that because of what she did, during the almost eight years he was gone Naruto repeatedly put himself into situations where there was a high probability he'd be killed. He'd been _looking_ to end his life. _He wanted to die._

At first she refused to believe it, but Lady Tsunade showed her a file on Naruto that Kakashi put together during his time as Hokage that proved her point. The knowledge that Sakura had hurt Naruto so badly that he'd yearned for death was a hard pill to swallow.

"Naruto," Sakura said, her voice melancholy. "can we please stop this and talk?"

He sighed, initially unwilling to accede to her request but after considering it for a moment, he reluctantly turned to face his former teammate. "I'm confused, Sakura. I thought we were already talking. And what exactly did you want to stop?"

"We're not talking Naruto, we're forcing a conversation. That's not the same thing. And I want to talk about you and me, specifically."

He scowled. "I'd rather not."

"Why?" she asked, her eyes hurt and pleading. "What are you afraid of?"

"I'm afraid I'll do something that I'll regret, Sakura." He said curtly. "You and me haven't had the best history, and even though I've tried to let it go, there's still some small part of me that hates you for what you did. Just because I have complete control over Kurama's power now doesn't mean it won't flare up if I'm angry enough."

Sakura placed a hand on Naruto's chest and felt him stiffen at the unwanted contact. When they were younger she never could have imagined their friendship degenerating to this point, but she knew it was entirely her fault. She quickly pressed on, not knowing when or even if she'd get another chance like this.

"Look Naruto, I'm sorry. For everything. I'm sorry we dated, when I really didn't love you and I knew Hinata did. I'm sorry I selfishly used you to get Sasuke back to the village for me. I…I'm sorry I hurt you so terribly that you tried to kill yourself. I honestly didn't think you'd take it that bad but I was wrong, Naruto…so very wrong."

Naruto didn't think things could get more uncomfortable, but he was proven wrong when Sakura hugged him, pressing her face against his chest. At one time he would have killed for affection like this from her but now, it just made his skin crawl.

"I know you'll never forget what happened, and I'm not even going to ask you to forgive me." Her body shuddered and she took a deep breath, steadying herself before continuing. "All I'm asking for is a chance – one chance to start making things up to you. I know I don't deserve it, but…but if you won't give me this chance, then there's no hope at all. Lady Tsunade told me I had to try, and I agree with her. Please, I…I have to know that there's some way we can move past this, because if I can't make this right with you, then I can't make this right with anyone! Please…"

Naruto ground his teeth in frustration, his mind being pulled in two different directions. The childish part of him wanted to tell her _no fucking way_ and let her continue to feel some measure of the pain she caused to both him and his family while at the same time, the Hokage part said that he needed to be a bigger person than that, act like an adult and give her the chance she was pleading for.

And even though he _really, really, really_ wanted to give in to the childish part, in the end he knew he couldn't. Being the Hokage meant that you put the good of the village above everything else, including himself. He shoved his own petty thoughts of justice and revenge to the side and answered her.

"Okay fine, Sakura." He said tersely. "I'm not forgiving what you did and right now, I'm not ready to accept your apology. And even though it goes against my better judgment, I'll give you the one chance you're asking for." He lowered his eyes and glared balefully at her. "But if you screw this up, I won't bail you out a second time. You'll have to live with the consequences, no matter what they are. Deal?"

The look in Naruto's eyes was dead serious, and it gave Sakura a glimpse of what he'd become while he was gone from the village. Cold, firm and unyielding, she'd taken someone who was the happiest and most forgiving person she'd ever met and turned him into…**_this._**

"Deal," Sakura replied, hugging him one last time. "Thank you, Naruto. I promise you won't regret this."

_You're making a mistake._ Inner Sakura said, intruding on her moment.

_The only mistake I ever made was listening to you in the first place. Sakura bit back mentally._

_He's leading you on, just like those supposed friends of yours, Ino and Tenten are. You really think he's going to give you a chance or even forgive you, no matter how much you give or what you do?_

_Naruto just gave me his word, Sakura adamantly thought, and he never goes back on his word. And anyway, I don't care what you have to say. Looking back on it, every bad decision I've ever made was influenced by you. _**_You're_**_ the cause of it all and I'm not listening to you anymore. Whatever it takes, I'm getting rid of you one and for all so that you'll never ruin my life again._

_Foolish girl, Inner Sakura chuckled darkly, obviously amused by the statement. I'm as much a part of you as the heart that beats in your chest. No matter what you do, you'll never be able to get rid of me. _**_Ever._**

* * *

A full moon illuminated the nighttime sky. Not one star marred its surface, not a single cloud drifted across the expanse, no cricket chirped to break the expectant silence. The air had a heaviness about it, like the calm before the storm – or in this case, like a snake watching its prey, patiently waiting for the proper moment to strike.

The time was approaching nine o'clock and Saladin sat calmly at his desk, elbows resting on the top with his hands steepled in front of him. His eyes stared unwaveringly at the passage leading to his chambers, waiting for his 'guests' to arrive.

He knew they were out there. He'd first felt their presence when the sun began to dip below the horizon over three hours ago. They were hovering about five miles from the entrance, waiting for the cover of darkness before initiating their attack, thinking it would give them the advantage when coupled with their numbers.

Maybe it would. But if so, he wouldn't be heading to the next world alone. There were five of them, and he vowed to take as many as he could with him before finally succumbing to death.

Footsteps echoed down the passageway long before they came into view. They stopped about fifteen feet in front of him forming a straight line, looking smug and confident, thinking their victory was all but assured because of their strength in numbers.

His normally calm demeanor gone, he provided them with a stare that promised pain and suffering for corrupting his teachings.

"I have to say, I'm not surprised to see you Gilgamesh," Saladin intoned, his voice low and menacing. "but I **_am_** surprised to see the rest of you." he said, his eyes shifting to Ares, Tyr, Sif and Naberius. "And I'm well aware of why you're all here. You should know I have no intention of letting any of you leave this cave alive."

Gilgamesh sneered at the confidence of his former master, before glancing at the shelves behind the desk. Initially when he walked in, because of the low light in the cave he hadn't noticed the normally full shelves were now bare, but that fact was now painfully apparent.

The sneer vanished from his face. "Where are they?" he growled, pointing at the empty shelves.

Saladin laughed mockingly at the anger of his former student. When he first felt the omen of his impending death, Saladin suspected that whoever was behind these attacks would be coming for his compendium of knowledge. He felt gratified knowing he was right, and the decision he'd made as to where he sent them.

"Gone. I sent them away from this place weeks ago, and any efforts to search for them will be fruitless because as of now, they are far beyond your reach."

Enraged at being taunted, Gilgamesh bared his teeth and raised his killing intent, followed shortly by the others. The chakra pressure in the cave was so thick and oppressive that the very air shimmered and warped visibly around them. Naberius grinned wickedly, a mouthful of serrated teeth splitting his face from ear to ear as he enveloped himself in a shroud of ebony chakra, small sparks dancing around his fingertips. Ares and Tyr lowered their helmet visors and drew their swords, angry red and black blades that seemed to cry out for blood. Sif placed her shield defensively in front of her before reaching over her shoulder to grab a cylindrical object. Flicking her wrist, it extended into a double-ended spear.

Saladin placed his palms on the desk and slowly stood up, his body emitting a white light as his power rose to meet the threat that stood before him.

"None of you will spill another drop of innocent blood. I give my life for this pledge."

Tremors ran through the ground, causing their footing to become unstable and the air began to vibrate with a high pitched hum that bordered on screeching. Pieces of the cave ceiling fell around them, some large enough to cause serious injury but no one flinched. Everyone had committed themselves to this fight, and the stakes were far too high to back out.

"Suffer the folly of your decision," Saladin shouted ominously over the din, **_"AND DIE."_**

…and the mountain exploded, throwing dust and debris into the air for miles in every direction, before shuddering briefly and imploding on top of the leader of the Mienai Segi and his adversaries, signaling that the battle had begun in earnest.

* * *

Five hours later, in the middle of the night almost a continent away, screams tore through the house of the Hokage of Konoha.

Jerked from her sleep, Hinata quickly reached towards the lamp on her nightstand. This happened sometimes; Naruto occasionally still had nightmares from his time with the Mienai Segi and would wake up in a cold sweat, burying his face in his hands and trembling in fear. The frequency of them had gotten less and less – he hadn't had an episode in over a month, but she knew it would take some time and quite a bit of soothing caresses from her before he calmed down and went back to sleep.

However, when she finally turned on the light, what she saw was completely unexpected.

Naruto was sitting up in bed, his entire upper body shaking and face contorted into a mixture of rage and pain. He held his forearms out in front of him, the muscles straining as he clenched his fists so hard the knuckles turned white, while the Mienai Segi tattoos on his forearms burned a throbbing, angry red.

Hinata reached out and grabbed his shoulder, worried that something or someone had attacked her husband. "Naruto-kun, what…"

"RRRRRRRRGGGGGGHH!" Naruto growled, grinding his teeth against the pain. He kicked the covers off with his legs and ran into the bathroom, still holding his arms in front of him.

Hinata saw the light flick on and then heard the faucet from the bathroom sink running. The sound was loud enough for her to know that the water was going full blast.

"Naruto-kun, are you all…"

She was interrupted once again when the door to the bedroom flew open and Freyja barged into the room, wearing nothing but a very revealing black lace bra and a matching pair of racy v-string panties. Her face was contorted in the same mixture of rage and pain, and the Mienai Segi tattoos on the front of her hips were burning the same angry red.

Hinata stared open-mouthed at the woman standing shamelessly at the foot of her bed, looking like she was trying to seduce her husband. And based off of her absolutely drop dead gorgeous figure, she wouldn't have a hard time doing it – especially when compared to her fat, bloated and ugly pregnant body that Naruto said he loved no matter what.

"WHERE THE HELL IS GABRIEL?" Freyja demanded loudly.

"He's in the bathroom Freyja, but you can't…"

Freyja ignored her and rushed after Naruto, leaving Hinata to watch Freyja's perfectly formed and VERY visible ass as it entered the bathroom. Then, to add insult to injury she heard the water in the shower turn on.

There was no way Hinata was just going to lay in bed while a half-naked woman paraded herself around in front of her husband. She might even be totally naked by now, seducing him further by lewdly soaping up her body in the shower. Naruto's love and affection, as well as his powerful and sexy body belonged to her, damn it! She threw the covers off, determined to walk into the bathroom and fight for both her husband **and** her marriage. Unfortunately for her, before she could get out of bed she was interrupted a third time.

"Mom?"

Hinata turned in the direction of the voice. Hikaru was now standing in the doorway and Reira was beside him, rubbing her eyes because she was still half asleep.

"What's going on? I woke up because I heard people screaming, and then I saw Freyja run by my door, then down the stairs and into your bedroom." Hikaru blushed suddenly, as the memory of what he'd just seen turned him wide awake. "She…She wasn't wearing very many clothes…"

Hinata rubbed her forehead in annoyance. This was **_not_** a conversation she wanted to have with her son at two o'clock in the morning. "Hikaru, take Reira upstairs and go back to bed."

"But Mom, that doesn't…"

"_Now,_ Hikaru." Hinata said, forcefully interrupting him. "I'll assign you extra homework tomorrow if you don't."

Grumbling, Hikaru took Reira's hand and led her out of the room. After they were gone, Hinata stood up and walked towards the bathroom, a fire igniting in her belly as she prepared to confront that hussy Freyja. Her perverted husband was sure to have a raging nosebleed by now. She'd jyuuken the left half of his body numb for looking at another woman!

A scowl on her face, Hinata barged into the bathroom, steaming with anger. "Freyja! Get your hands off my…"

She stopped in mid rant because once again, what she saw was completely unexpected.

Naruto was standing in front of the sink, still grimacing in pain as he let the water from the faucet run over his forearms. Hinata noticed that only the cold water had been turned on, his focus was completely on his Mienai Segi tattoos that were still glowing red, and he didn't have a nosebleed.

Her eyes darted over to Freyja who was standing in the shower, eyes closed with the same grimace of pain on her face. She was leaning against the wall underneath the water, letting it run over her body. Once again, Hinata noticed that only the cold water was turned on, and Freyja was still wearing her underwear. Hinata couldn't see her Mienai Segi tattoos because Freyja was facing the wall, but Hinata assumed they were glowing red, just like Naruto's.

She lowered her head and hid her eyes behind her bangs, blushing furiously. Her pregnancy hormones were making her brain go haywire again with unbelievable thoughts. She forgot that the herbs lady Tsunade gave her wore off right around bedtime. And to make matters worse, because of all the running water her bladder was now as awake as she was, and she needed to use the toilet.

She bore down and focused, keeping the urge at bay because she wanted to know what was going on before she… _used the facilities._

"Naruto-kun, why do the tattoos on your forearms look like they're burning your skin? Is that the reason why you're grimacing in pain?"

"The tattoos **_are_** the reason why I'm in pain right now_,_ Hinata." Naruto said flatly, as he continued to stare at his Mienai Segi tattoos under the ice cold water of the faucet. "And I could handle the pain if it only felt like burning skin, but this is something else entirely. This feels like someone just shoved a white-hot piece of iron straight through my arms."

Hinata reached out her hand to touch Naruto's shoulder, any thoughts she had before replaced with worry for her husband. "Why is that happening? What does it mean?"

"It means that Saladin is dead." Freyja spat out angrily from beneath the running water. "And whoever did it was a twisted, sadistic fuck because we felt Saladin's pain when he died, and there was a shitload of it. _That's_ why the tattoos are glowing red. Gabriel got it right when he said it feels like someone stabbed me with a piece of white-hot metal. And I'll bet my perfectly formed, rock hard ass cheeks that Gideon is the fucking asshole responsible for it."

Hinata remembered that Saladin was the leader of the Mienai Segi, but she had no idea who Gideon was. It was obvious because of his name that he was one of the Mienai Segi, and he probably ranked very high as far as how strong he was, but she didn't know anything beyond that.

Other than the sound of running water, the bathroom had been silent since she'd started thinking about what Freyja said. This was obviously a painful subject for them both, because neither one wanted to say anything further.

"So…what happens now?" Hinata asked tentatively.

"We wait until morning and call a meeting." Naruto replied sadly, still thinking about how his master was killed, even though he'd warned him about Gideon. Saladin should have been better prepared. "I know for a fact that Sasuke is going through the same thing we are, but Kakashi is still asleep, and having a meeting in the middle of the night won't make a difference because nothing's gonna happen in the space of a few hours."

"How…How bad is this going to get?" Hinata asked after a tense silence.

"Bad. Real bad." Freyja replied darkly, still underneath the cold water of the shower. "We'll have a lull while Gideon licks his wounds and recovers, wherever that is. But after that, it's gonna get a whole hell of a lot worse."

* * *

A/N: Okay, so now we see the part with Sakura that a few readers have been itching for. I know it won't be perfect for everyone, but I hope it helps. However, don't think everything for Sakura is going to be all sunshine and roses – there's quite a bit of darkness in her future (hint, hint) along with plenty of remorse and blame to go around for everyone. Stay tuned.

And WOW, I can't say this enough but do you guys have any idea how much I love writing scenes with Reira in them? She's become my favorite bundle of cuteness and innocence in this story. I've got so much more planned for her and Hikaru and hilarity WILL ensue.

(1) – I didn't want to put the exact problem in the story because some readers would have been like, "EW!" But the reference here is to women getting hemorrhoids while pregnant – another little gem they experience while carrying a new life around for nine months or so. I have a great amount of respect for women being pregnant, because I would probably last two weeks and then quit.

(2) – This little gem came from the Knight's Code of Honor in medieval England. I liked it and thought it was appropriate for the situation.

So poor Saladin is dead and the remaining Mienai Segi knows it. There'll be more anger than mourning, and we'll get to see what happens with Perun and what's in the scrolls next chapter. You guys should already know what it is. But the bigger question is _who survived the fight?_

Sakura has a lot of work to do in order for everyone to start thinking she's actually changed. Ino and Choji may be on the road to getting back together. Hikaru is now Reira's boyfriend – at least according to her. I don't think Hikaru will mention that in public, though. But what happens when Hinata and Freyja find out?

What's coming up? Perun makes it to Kumo next chapter. Freyja and Kakashi work a few things out. The scrolls get delivered, Gideon plots his next move and Hikaru makes a surprising breakthrough on the caged bird seal. Matsuri gives birth, Naruto visits Suna and makes good on the agreement regarding Temari coming to Konoha. Hiashi starts to spend more time with his daughters and daughter-in law in an effort to change his personality.

**_Recommendation time!_** So, I've been going over some of the recommendations that I've made in the past. Problem is, once I give a recommendation I've seen a couple of them unexpectedly stop releasing new chapters and because of that, this time I wanted to recommend something that has some meat on it – like, more than fifteen chapters. This is one I've been following for a while and it should have been given recognition way before this (my bad, dude.)

So please check out **Snow Angels by DeisuiNeko.** There's quite a bit of stuff going on in this one; Sasuke and Sakura are together but Naruto has more interaction with the Hyūga clan than usual – mainly because he leads a team with Hanabi on it, and she also has a one-sided crush on Naruto. Our favorite hero still only has eyes for Hinata, though and things are starting to heat up between them in the latest chapter. I urge everyone to head on over take a look – I'm sure you won't be disappointed. If you DO happen to read it, please put the story on your favorite/follow list and leave the author a review. I'm sure he'd appreciate it.

Here's the link, as usual remove the spaces and you know what to replace the stars with:

www . fanfiction . *** / s / 9923810

**REVIEWS!** Okay, fifty three reviews for last chapter which is pretty good. I always want more because I'm basically greedy, like every other writer on this site but I appreciate each and every one. Reviews are satisfying on a level that I can't even begin to describe, and as I mention every chapter they motivate me to write, even when I'm on the brink of insanity. But I'd like to take a different approach with this chapter.

I've mentioned on more than one occasion that I like feedback from my readers. Your ideas go into my story and make it better and to be honest, I like having this story be crafted partially on your feedback because it really makes me feel good. It tells me that this story isn't based solely on what **I think** is good, but what **you guys** like as well.

So if you leave a review, also leave me an idea if you can. If I use it, you'll get full credit but I'd like to see if you guys come up with something really creative that I can incorporate into my story. I'll do my best to reply personally to each and every one... and remember as always, the more reviews you leave the faster the next chapter gets out.

That's all for now. Take care and stay safe.

Serious Sam


	27. Ch 26: What Happens Now?

26\. So, What Happens Now?

**_Mr. Aladdin, sir, have a wish or two or three. Come on whisper what it is you want; You ain't never had friend like me! – Robin Williams_**

Ah, Robin Williams. The world will never see the like of him again. If you want to watch something funny as hell, rent his comedy special "Live At The Met." It may be from the 1980's, but even after over thirty years it's still comedy gold.

So here we have chapter 26, which acts sort of as a precursor to the kickoff of the big stuff. I know, that's what everyone wants to see but most of this chapter is ideas I've had percolating in my head and frankly, they'll be important to the story in later chapters. I put quite a bit of humor in here as well along with drama and a bit of smut, so there's something for everyone.

Like I do every chapter, I'd like to give a huge round of thanks to fellow author **Titokhan** and my anonymous beta for all their help and support. I really appreciate the time you guys take to make sure my story keeps moving in the right direction. You guys are the best!

And now, let's get to the shout-outs and credit where credit is due:

**Zafnak/Titokhan/MattWilson83:** I honestly hadn't thought of putting in a reference to Naruto saving Hinata from the bullies, but I rewrote part of this chapter based on that idea. You'll know it when you see it, and I think the scene is better off because of it. Thanks so much for the idea!

**Solvdrage:** I finally get to use your idea about the Icha Icha novels. Fantastic idea!

**Wacko12 :** The idea you put forth finally made it into the chapter. That specific part was expanded significantly in order to make use of what you suggested. I hope you like how I wrote it!

**Belnonm:** I put a small reference to the range of the tattoos when Saladin got killed into the story, but I'll expand on it in future chapters. The idea was great, so thanks!

I would also like to give a shout-out to the following authors:

**Hendrixson:** His story **For The Love Of The Hokage** got updated about two weeks after I posted my little snippet at the end of the previous chapter. He has also been kind enough to mention my story, as well as leave me some large and glowing reviews. I'm very grateful, and I hope everyone who reads my story gets over and checks his out.

**weirdismyname:** I currently am helping her with some beta work on her latest NaruHina story, **Sanctuary of the Wounded.** Another chapter just got published and I urge everyone to go take a look. It's starting slow, just like her other story **Beyond an Heiress' Purpose** but I know for a fact that things are going to pick up steam very soon.

**OGAFazer89AC:** Just updated **Path to the Future.** Great story with a few OC, quite a bit of angst and drama. Check it out if you get the chance, I've recommended it before.

**Arcana37210:** I also do beta work on his story, **Rise of Ryujin.** The story as one small element of Skyrim incorporated into it – Naruto becomes a dragon, sort of. He did an update a few weeks ago so if you like stuff like that, I urge you to go over and check it out.

I would also like to say that there's one small idea I shamelessly borrowed from **KingKakashi's** story **Naruto vs. Sasuke – The Aftermath.** He gets full credit for the Moegi/Udon situation and I used it here, mainly because I wasn't really thinking of utilizing either of them as characters in my story to even a minor extent, and this seemed a convenient way to get them out of the picture. And if you haven't checked his story out, you should. But be warned, there's some **_really dark stuff_** in it (like rape) – it's rated M for a reason, everyone. But if you can get past that, the story is one of the best on this site.

And now, on to the disclaimer! I think more people will recognize the one for this chapter, and this has to be one of my favorite lines from the show…

**_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. And check out my new invention – the Smell-o-scope! Go ahead, try it. You'll find that every planet in the solar system has its own particular scent. Here, I'll point it at Jupiter._**

**_Fry: Smells like strawberries._**

**_Disclaimer: Exactly. And now, Saturn._**

**_Fry: Pine needles. Oh, man, this is great! Just don't make me smell Uranus._**

**_Dicslaimer: I'm sorry Fry, but astronomers renamed Uranus in the year 2620 to end that stupid joke once and for all._**

**_Fry: Oh? What's it called now?_**

**_Disclaimer: Urrectum! (+1 if you get the reference.)_**

* * *

Chapter 26 – So, What Happens Now?

"So, what happens now?"

Naruto had called Kakashi, Freyja and Sasuke to his office early the next morning. His initial plan had been to keep the meeting confined to the original group of people, however after last night Hinata insisted on being included. She reasoned it was Saturday, she had no classes at the academy to teach and she already knew about the Mienai Segi. Plus she said, 'I refuse to let Naruto-kun face this danger alone. He's the man I love, the father of my children and for once, I'll stand next to him rather than behind him.' Naruto had protested, but then Hinata gave him a menacing look that would have scared even Orochimaru, daring him to make her leave.

So instead of arguing the point he agreed to let her stay, silently deciding that if anything ever happened he'd ignore her and face the threat alone. Even at the cost of his own life, he promised to protect his precious people and that now meant her, Hikaru **and** their unborn child. And as everyone knew, he never went back on his word.

Naruto sighed wearily, rubbing his forehead in frustration. "It's not like we have a lot of options. Freyja was right last night when she said that Gideon is going to hole up somewhere and lick his wounds, but once he recovers there's no telling what his next move might be."

"And we still don't know who else we're dealing with." Sasuke added. "There has to be at least one other person who survived the fight, since Saladin is dead. Otherwise, he'd still be alive and the pain overload we felt in our tattoos wouldn't have happened."

"At this point, do you think it might be wise to alert the other villages?" Kakashi inquired. "I know your organization has a strict code against talking about the Mienai Segi, but if ever there was a case to justify a special exception, this would be it."

"You got that right, Kakashi." Freyja stated irritably, fidgeting in her seat. Hinata and Naruto imagined that she was doing it because of the placement of her tattoos. That area would probably be tender and sore until she made it to the hospital and had someone heal her. "We really don't have any precedence for something like this, and it stands to reason that as of now, the Mienai Segi is finished. Normally this would fall to the second in command but that's Gideon, and he's the one behind all this. That brings us to third in line, which is a toss-up between Gabriel here and Gilgamesh."

"Who's Gilgamesh?" Hinata asked, voicing the question before Kakashi or Sasuke had a chance to.

"He used to be a mercenary until Saladin got ahold of him and tried to reform him as a pet project." Freyja snarled. "Gilgamesh was named after a demi-god in the western lands that possessed superhuman strength, and this guy fits the bill perfectly. He's almost seven feet tall and if you could think of the embodiment of brute force, he'd be it. Gilgamesh lives only for the fight. I'd be shocked if he was dead, and if I had to guess I'd say that he's working for Gideon, even though I don't have any proof of either one."

Upon hearing the description of Gilgamesh, Kakashi gave a low laugh while everyone else stared at him, thinking he'd gone crazy.

"What the hell is so funny, Kakashi?" Freyja demanded.

"Sorry." Kakashi said, shaking his head. "It's just that after hearing what he looked like, I was thinking Guy would jump at the chance to fight someone like that. Can you see him attacking someone seven feet tall head-on, screaming about the 'flames of youth' while flashing that goofy smile of his?"

Everyone in the room briefly shared a look before Kakashi, Naruto, Sasuke and Freyja burst into laughter. Hinata merely gave a lopsided smile, trying not to laugh as she pictured Guy-sensei using his rather flamboyant fighting style.

After half a minute, they wiped the tears from their eyes and took a few calming breaths.

"Okay, I think we all needed that." Freyja said jokingly. "But let's get back to business. Even if Gabriel wasn't the Hokage, he's still the highest ranking member of the Mienai Segi here, even if that's probably not what we are anymore." She furrowed her brow and stared pointedly at Naruto. "So, what's your decision Gabriel? Do we start informing everyone else about Gideon and the Mienai Segi, or let them fend for themselves?"

Hinata, Kakashi and Sasuke already knew what he'd say. Naruto would never abandon someone in need, but they weren't going to answer Freyja for him.

"The alliance between the villages is still strong, but if we keep this a secret it'll destroy everything I worked so hard to build in the fourth shinobi war." Naruto said, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "I really don't think we have a choice. We have to tell them about the Mienai Segi, and I'll start on Monday with Suna."

"Suna?" Hinata asked curiously. "Why Suna? Is it because of Gaara?"

"Partially." Naruto lifted a scroll that was sitting on the corner of his desk. "This came in late last night after I left the office. Matsuri had the baby. And since I know you're going to ask Hinata, it was a girl – twenty inches long, six pounds, nine ounces. But since it was a girl, I have to honor the agreement I signed to bring Temari here to Konoha."

"Yes, I heard that you signed an agreement to bring Temari here to Konoha, but I never knew any of the details." Kakashi said inquisitively. "What exactly do we have to give them in exchange?"

"Well, the agreement depended on what Matsuri had. If she had a boy, and Gaara could continue the family line, then everything was fine and we didn't have to give them anything in return. However, if she had a girl I had to provide either one jōnin or two high level chūnin in exchange."

"You're just going to send either a jōnin or two chūnin packing to Suna against their will?" Freyja asked bluntly. "That's really not your style, Gabriel."

"No, I wouldn't do something like that. If no one wanted to go, I'd have to find something else to give Gaara. But I've been making inquiries for the past couple of weeks, seeing if anyone would be interested in going and luckily enough, Moegi and Udon have volunteered. It's not like they're going empty handed, though. They're getting one hundred thousand Ryo as part of the agreement, so they'll be very well off."

"Huh. Money aside, I wonder why they'd just up and leave like that?"

Kakashi, Sasuke and Naruto shrugged their shoulders unknowingly at Freyja's question, but Hinata knew the answer. Moegi had been in love with Konohamaru for years, and when he finally married Hanabi – because of Naruto's intervention, no less – it had broken her heart. She was taking this opportunity to start over in a place where she didn't have to see Konohamaru every day, and Udon was following her because he loved Moegi, and always had.

"Kakashi-sensei, starting Monday I'll need you to mind the village for a few days. Sasuke, I want patrols on the outer walls stepped up until further notice. Even though I think we've got some time before Gideon makes his next move, I'm not taking any chances. Freyja, once I'm gone I want you to go see Shikamaru and fill him in on the Mienai Segi. He's smart enough to keep something like this a secret, and it'll be a perfect time to do it, since I'm taking Temari with me to Suna because I'm sure she'll want to see her niece."

"Does anybody have anything else to add?" Silence and shaking heads answered Naruto back. "Then let's get the day started." He said reluctantly. "I've got paperwork to do, and there's no sense in all of you wasting your time in here watching me sign stuff."

Kakashi, Sasuke and Freyja stood up and filed out of the office, however Hinata stayed in her seat, twisting her wedding ring on her finger. It had become her new nervous habit, since she'd decided not to poke her fingers together like a twelve year old schoolgirl anymore.

"Hinata?" Naruto asked worriedly. "Is something wrong?" He'd become attuned to her moods and quirks; even more so lately because she was pregnant, but this time he knew there was a problem because the seal on his hand was tingling.

Hinata continued to stare at him, her eyes a bit wider than normal and worry lines creasing her forehead. She stood up and walked around the desk, stopping in front of her confused husband. Her lower lip began to quiver and she hurriedly sat in his lap, hugging him tightly and burying her face in the crook of his neck.

When he felt tears against his skin, Naruto grew concerned. He wrapped his arms around her protectively, trying to bring her some sense of comfort. "Hinata? What's wrong? Why are you crying?"

"I-I'm afraid, N-Naruto-kun." She said haltingly between sobs.

"Afraid of what, exactly?" He asked, rubbing her back. She'd been like a rock during the meeting, and now she was a quivering mess of emotions. Was this because of the pregnancy hormones? Or was it something else?

"O-Of losing you. I've loved you since I was s-six years old. I waited twenty y-years of my life to get you, we haven't even b-been married a year and now you're getting involved in a f-fight that's at least as big as the Akatsuki was. Why can't life j-just let us be happy and not have any problems for once? Why d-does it always have to be you?"

"Hey…" He cupped her cheek, forcing her to look at him. Tears were falling from her eyes, and he could feel the fear grasping her heart through the seal. "We're shinobi, remember? And I'm the Hokage now. Fights like this are bound to happen, and at our wedding I made the promise of a lifetime to protect you and Hikaru. That promise now extends to the baby you're carrying. I don't care how big the threat is, I'm not backing down from it."

"Then make me another promise." Hinata pleaded, trying to blink away another round of tears. "Promise me that we'll be together always. That no matter what happens, you'll always come back to me."

"As much as I'd like to, you know I can't do that, Hinata." Naruto said gently. "If I have a choice between my family's safety and saving my life, I'll choose my family every single time. It's who I am, and part of what you love about me – just like your constant worry over me is part of what I love about you."

It wasn't the answer she wanted to hear, and it didn't help matters that she knew he was right. Given the choice, she'd do exactly the same thing. But when Naruto said her constant worry over him was part of what he loved about her, it sent a small thrill through her body and she was suddenly eager to hear more. "What…What else do you love about me?" she asked between sniffles.

Unexpectedly, a flash of the mischievous prankster he used to be came to the fore and he grinned impishly, deciding that the situation called for some good old-fashioned pervy-sage humor. He wanted to see Hinata smiling and happy, not sad and depressed.

"Well, if I had to make a list of things I love about you, I'd have to say those beautiful eyes are first, followed by that smile of yours that lights up a room. After that, it's probably a tie between your legs and your butt."

The words were said so casually, that it took a few moments for Hinata to register them. She pulled her head back and gawked at him in bewilderment. "My…My butt?"

"Yeah. You know, it's got these really awesome curves that are sexy as hell, and each cheek is perfectly proportioned to fit in the palm of my hand." He said perversely, flexing his fingers. "I think that proves we were always meant to be together, doesn't it?"

He watched as she blushed slightly, and she smacked his chest playfully in embarrassment. "That's not funny, Naruto-kun!" she admonished him.

He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at her. "Sure it is. It also happens to be true." He placed a hand behind her neck and drew her to him, giving her a kiss that made her entire body tingle. She hummed appreciatively into his mouth, reveling in the touch of his lips against hers before they broke apart, both of them breathless and Hinata flushed as well.

"I love you Naruto-kun," Hinata said fervently, staring into his eyes. "Freyja told me about the seal you placed on my hand, and what it really means. There will never be anyone else for me but you, and I wouldn't have it any other way."

He pressed their foreheads together; enjoying the sensation of absolute completeness he felt whenever she was around. "And I love you too Hinata-hime. I don't know what I would do without you in my life. You mean everything to me. Believe it."

"Now, let's not have any more depressing thoughts for the rest of the day, alright? Reira's surprise birthday party is at six o'clock tonight, and I think a happy event like that is just what this family needs right now."

* * *

Half a continent away, as the sun approached its zenith a man approached the village of Kumogakure. He stood about six feet tall and wore a helmet adorned with ram's horns. His clothing was simple and non-descript; an outfit of leather armor that hung from one shoulder leaving the other one, along with part of his well-muscled chest bare. On the exposed skin of his chest was a tattoo that appeared to be the kanji symbol for strength, the edges of which were colored an angry red. A wide belt with a buckle resembling a brass shield was clasped around his waist, with a small satchel attached to one side.

He calmly approached the guards at the gate, who eyed him warily. The stranger hadn't done anything to give them cause for alarm, but his manner of dress indicated he was a foreigner from the lands to the west. And the first rule of being a guard is that it's better to be safe than sorry.

"State your name and business, please."

"My name is Perun." He made sure his voice was firm, yet non-threatening. He was here to join these people, not fight them. "And as for my business, I'd like to speak with the Raikage."

The two men snickered, clearly amused at the audacity of their guest. "Unless you're a high-ranking political official, Ambassador, Diplomat or one of the other Kage, you're not getting anywhere near the Raikage. So how about you just turn around and leave?"

Perun hadn't expected a warm reception, but he didn't think they'd be this standoffish either. He took a calming breath and tried again. "You misunderstand. I'm actually a very accomplished fighter, and I'm here to join your shinobi force. I also have a message that concerns the safety of your village."

"Oh? You seem pretty confident that we'd take you in the first place." One of the men sneered, baring a mouthful of crooked teeth. "And what's this message about the safety of Kumo?"

"My instructions were to deliver the message only to the Raikage," Perun said calmly, "but after that it needs to be sent to Konoha. I was told to ask for the man who holds the fox."

Their arrogance vanished instantly as they narrowed their eyes and stared at the man in front of them with guarded skepticism. Why was he asking about Killer B's jinchuuriki brother Naruto Uzumaki, who also happened to be the Hokage of Konoha? A button press later, and the foreigner was surrounded by ten ANBU.

Perun sighed in disappointment. He wondered if all the people in this village were as abrasive as these two guards. It might make living here a bit tougher than he originally thought.

"You want to talk with the Raikage? Fine. You'll get your wish, but only if you behave. These men will escort you to his office, but make one wrong move and they'll separate your head from your body in the blink of an eye. Understand?"

Perun smiled disarmingly. "Perfectly."

* * *

The Raikage of Kumo was a tall, dark-skinned man with an extremely muscular build. This was obviously a source of great pride for the man, since he was curling weights with his one good arm – the other was missing at the elbow – wearing his Kage hat but no shirt, in order to show off his impressive physique. Perun noted absently that in many ways the Raikage reminded him of Gilgamesh – including his attitude, because after being in his office for only one minute, he knew where the guards at the front gate had developed their social interaction skills.

"Are you even listening to me?" the Raikage growled.

Broken out of his reflective thoughts, Perun snapped his eyes towards the Raikage and then bowed his head submissively. "My apologies, Raikage-sama. I was merely thinking that you remind me very much of a former associate of mine."

"Well, start paying attention and answer my question." He added, tossing the weight on the floor where it landed with a heavy crash. "What's this message you supposedly have for me regarding the safety of my village?"

"I'm sorry to ask Raikage-sama, but could you make this meeting private?" Perun looked pointedly at several ANBU, along with another man who'd identified himself as Darui, who were stationed throughout the office. "The information I'm about to give you is extremely sensitive and not for everyone's ears."

The Raikage narrowed his eyes at his guest, wondering if he might have an ulterior motive for wanting the ANBU to leave. Even though he was dressed strangely, the Raikage couldn't feel any sort of power emanating from the man, so in the end he reasoned that this Perun as he liked to call himself wasn't that much of a threat.

He waved his hand and the ANBU filed out if his office, but he motioned for Darui to remain where he was. When Perun raised a questioning eyebrow, the Raikage responded by saying, "He's my right-hand man who'll be Raikage after me. He's staying to hear what you have to say."

Perun nodded in understanding as the Raikage raised the privacy seals. "Thank you Raikage-sama, but before we begin I'd like to ask a question. Can you tell me who the man who holds the fox is?"

The Raikage and Darui were taken aback, both wondering why this man was asking or for that matter, didn't even know who Naruto Uzumaki was. The man was clearly the most famous individual in the elemental nations because of his exploits during the war.

"His name is Naruto Uzumaki. He's currently the Hokage of Konoha. Why do you ask?"

"Naruto Uzumaki?" Perun asked, his eyes wide with surprise. "The man who saved everyone in the fourth shinobi war?"

"Yes, that's him." Darui stated flatly. "You're asking for him specifically. How is it that you don't know who he is?"

_Or for that matter, how could Saladin know who he is and send me to ask for him, unless… "Do you happen to have a picture of him? Something recent, perhaps?"_

Darui exchanged a glance with the Raikage who grunted, either not caring or seeing no harm in the request. He walked over to a bookcase and pulled a picture off the shelf – it was taken only hours after the final battle of the fourth shinobi war. The five Kage, along with Naruto flashing the victory sign, were posing in front of the remnants of the Shinju Tree.

Darui handed the picture over to Perun. "This picture is several years old, but it's the only one we have in this office." He tapped the image in the middle. "That's Naruto Uzumaki. He's the jinchuuriki for the nine tailed fox."

Perun gaped at the picture. Even though the man in the picture was younger and far happier, there was no mistaking that it was Gabriel. He wondered what could have happened to bring someone like that to the Mienai Segi in search of their death.

"Heh. I worked with him for seven years and never realized who he really was." He handed the picture back to Darui, chuckling softly. "But it certainly explains a lot."

"Explains what, exactly?" The Raikage demanded. He was not known to be a patient man, and this foreigner was testing his limits.

Perun waved his hand dismissively. "It's not important. What you should know is that my master…" He took a deep breath, looking briefly towards the ceiling. As much as the Mienai Segi had taught him to control his emotions, he was finding it to be rather difficult right now, considering the subject. "My master died yesterday. However, before he did he asked me to complete one final mission. I was to come to Kumogakure and serve this village by joining your shinobi force."

"You're assuming of course that we'd want you in the first place." Darui said dryly, unknowingly mimicking the words of the two guards at the gate. "But ignoring that, why would your master – whoever that is – want you to do something like that?"

"He was hoping I could live a normal life and not that of a mercenary, continuously looking over my shoulder for death. Living in constant fear is not a life worth living." Perun patted the satchel attached to his belt. "I was also told to ask for a trustworthy messenger to send to Konoha. I have two scrolls in here that need to be delivered to Gab…I mean, Naruto Uzumaki."

The Raikage was suddenly curious. "Oh? What's in them?"

"I honestly have no idea. My master sealed them, and he knew you'd ask that question. When you did, I was told to say that if you try and break the seals to find out what's in them, they'll explode…taking out a significant chunk of the surrounding area with them."

"Then how about you tell me who your master is, or where these scrolls came from?"

Perun shook his head. "I'm sorry, but that's information I still have to keep secret for the time being. Until Gab…wow, I really gotta work on that…until Naruto Uzumaki tells me otherwise, I'll have to politely refuse."

The Raikage grimaced, his blood pressure rising. Talking with this foreigner was worse than dealing with his brother, Killer B when he wrote a new rap song. And worse yet, Perun hadn't given him a straight answer on…well, anything.

"Okay. You haven't said one damn thing important, even though you made me put up the privacy seals," The Raikage said threateningly. He spiked his chakra significantly and a moment later, his body was wrapped in Lightning Armor. "I've had it with you evading my questions. I want answers and I want them now. Refuse and I'll kick your ass."

Perun groaned. It looked like his comparison to Gilgamesh was more accurate than he thought, because to some degree this man had the same personality and respect for power as his former associate. The only real difference between the two was that the Raikage seemed to care about other people, while Gilgamesh only cared about himself.

He spiked his chakra to match the Raikage, and encased himself in Lightning armor as well. From the look on his face this caught Darui by surprise, while the Raikage merely scowled in annoyance.

"You know, you're not the only one who can do that little trick of yours," Perun stated matter-of-factly. "You really should have asked this question at the outset, but my primary chakra affinity is lightning, and I have a secondary affinity of fire. And over the last nine years I've been party to things that would turn your stomach inside out, so what you're doing isn't intimidating me in the least."

The Raikage ground his teeth, every nerve raw with anger. The fact that he hadn't been able to sense any measureable amount of chakra from Perun gnawed at him and now, he was matching his level of power and even copying his signature jutsu. It was unacceptable and insulting. He spiked his chakra once again, pushing out even more power. The discharge from his Lightning Armor started to become erratic, causing Darui to back away as the air began to sizzle around him.

Upon seeing this, Perun realized that unless he did something large enough to impress the Raikage, this discussion would end with him being thrown in jail, or at the very least kicked out of the village – which at this point didn't seem like a bad idea. However, Saladin's final wish had been for him to make this his home, and he'd do whatever it took to honor that request. Whatever he did was going to have to be considerably out of the ordinary, though. An idea suddenly came to mind and he decided to run with it.

He raised his chakra again, not merely matching the Raikage but going beyond that level, reaching out to the sky above them. He began to gather clouds, forming them into an angry, black whirling mass that flickered brightly with restrained power, and a growl resonated throughout the air, like a tiger waiting to pounce on his afternoon meal. As a final touch he also increased his Lightning Armor, causing Darui to back into the farthest corner of the office.

Darui could only stare in shock and awe at the two men in front of him. Up until this point, he'd thought that the only person who could perform the Lightning Armor Jutsu to this level was the Raikage but this unknown foreigner, this…Perun was matching him bolt for bolt and the amount of chakra he was giving off was unreal. This man had Kage level reserves; just where the hell was he from and how did he get so damn skilled?

The Raikage was thinking the exact same thing. _Who the fuck does this guy think he is, pushing out more chakra than me?_ _And he's doing it so calmly!_ The Raikage remarked to himself. _I can't feel one ounce of killing intent. How the hell can he keep his emotions under control like that?_ Deciding he wasn't going to be outdone, he pushed his chakra to the maximum, causing the Lightning Armor to become static while the bolts buzzed and hummed as they traveled between his body and the wall.

Perun slowly raised his hand, pointing his index finger skyward. "You may be able to generate lighting with your chakra, but unlike you I can also control the real thing." Sporting a sly grin, he slowly lowered his finger until it pointed at the outside wall and intoned, "Raiton: Shurrai."

The clouds above them growled one last time and a bolt of lightning launched forth, striking the wall Perun was pointing at, causing it to explode. Like a bomb going off, pieces of concrete both large and small flew everywhere and Darui covered his face to protect himself, noting that the Raikage and Perun never flinched – probably because they were both still wrapped in their Lightning Armor.

After the dust settled, Darui uncovered his face and saw the two men glaring at each other, their Lightning Armor still going full blast, while the ANBU that were previously in his office were now standing where the wall _used to be,_ wondering what the hell just happened.

"Now can we please knock this off?" Perun asked, clearly agitated. "I'm not going to sit here and play the 'who's got a bigger chip on their shoulder' game. So unless you want to head over to one of the training grounds and beat the crap out of each other, why don't you stop being such an egotistical asshole and accept the fact that I'm not your enemy, and I'm here to help?"

The two men continued to glare at each other, while everyone else in the office froze. Other than his brother Killer B, nobody talked to the Raikage like that, unless they wanted an extended stay in the hospital. Even though it looked like he had the skills to back it up, this guy had to be either stupid, crazy or a little bit of both.

The tension in the air was so thick; you could cut it with a knife – until the Raikage unexpectedly cracked a smile and started laughing, startling Darui and the ANBU, who stared dumbfounded at their leader.

"You've got guts talking to me like that," the Raikage said, his Lightning Armor vanishing. "I still don't really know who the hell you are, and I've still got questions I want answers to, but for now I'll accept your offer to join us. Besides, I'd rather have someone with your skills here in Kumo, rather than have you run off to Konoha and see Uzumaki yourself. You might just decide to stay there instead."

Perun lowered his Lightning Armor as well and inclined his head appreciatively. "Thank you, Raikage-sama. And you have my word that once Naruto Uzumaki gives his permission, I'll be more than happy to tell you everything."

"Fine. Then let's make that happen." The Raikage turned to Darui, ignoring the ANBU still standing where his wall used to be. "Get to Konoha and deliver those messages. Tell Uzumaki that Perun is here, and get permission from him to talk about whatever the hell is referenced in those scrolls."

Darui raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Me? Why me? Why not Killer B?"

"Because he'll probably want to stay there for a month, hanging out with Uzumaki and rapping in every karaoke bar in Konoha. YOU won't." He said pointedly. "Get there, get back and don't make any side trips. Understood?"

Darui nodded. "Understood, Raikage-sama. I'll leave within the hour."

* * *

"Happy birthday, sweetie!"

Reira smiled, staring at the cake in front of her – it was chocolate with cream cheese frosting, her favorite. Her mother was seated at the table to her left and Kakashi was sitting next to her, then Naruto and Hinata came after that and finally…Hikaru-kun was sitting to her right.

She was surrounded by both her family, and the people she'd come to know as her family. And if you add in what happened yesterday at the park, this might be the happiest day of her life.

"Thanks, Mom. I gotta say, throwing me this surprise birthday party was a great idea, since I've never had one before."

Hinata stopped in the act of slicing the cake and looked up, her eyes darting between Reira and Freyja. "Never?" she asked in confusion.

Freyja shook her head. "It just wasn't a good idea, since I was trying to keep Reira hidden from…_my former employer._ Don't get the wrong idea – we celebrated her birthday, it just wasn't anything public or extravagant. This is the first time we've actually had other people around to celebrate with."

"Gee, that's too bad." Naruto said sympathetically to Reira. "Well, I hope the gifts we got you make up for all those years you didn't get to have a proper birthday party."

Reira smiled brightly. "Thanks mister Naruto, but there's no way any of those gifts are better than the one Hikaru-kun gave me yesterday at the park."

Hikaru dropped his cake. He leaned away from Reira and his eyes started darting around the room nervously.

Hinata arched an eyebrow. "Oh, really? This is the first I've heard about it. Just _when_ did Hikaru give you this present at the park?"

"He did it right after he saved me from some bullies."

A small smile graced Hinata's lips. "He saved you from some bullies? That sounds very much like what Naruto-kun did for me when I was younger. Why don't you tell us all about what happened?"

And then, Reira launched into the most animated explanation ever. To everyone else at the table besides Hikaru, it was like watching an actress give the most dramatic, over-the-top performance of their life.

"So I was on the swings, not bothering anyone and Hikaru-kun was sitting on the benches on the other side of the park with some papers doing some stuff. Then these three bullies show up and ewww…" she pinched her nose and held it in the air, "…their chakra reminded me of rotting fruit and sour milk. So then the sour milk boy tells me that all the swings are his and he doesn't want me using any of them. I said that wasn't very fair, and he tells me tough and pushes me off like this…" Reira dramatically mimicked the boy pushing her off the swing, "…and I landed hard on my butt, and I think I said 'ow!' or something like that."

"Then I started crying because it hurt, and then Hikaru-kun shows up standing like this…" she paused, striking a defiant pose with her hands crossed in front of her chest, "…and tells them that I can use any swing I want. Then they laughed at us and said if we didn't leave, they were gonna beat both me and Hikaru-kun up, then Hikaru-kun goes like this…" Reira smirked and crossed her fingers in front of her, "…and poof! Five of Hikaru-kun's shadow clone thingies pop up! They beat the snot out of the bullies and they ran away really fast!"

"Then Hikaru-kun…" Reira's face lit up thinking about her crush, and she beamed at everyone as she continued, "…apologized for not being there sooner and I said it's okay. Then I asked him if he knew that tomorrow was my birthday, and he said he didn't and asked if there was something special I wanted, and that's when I told him I wanted to call him my boyfriend."

The entire time, Hikaru had been slowly edging towards the door in an attempt to sneak out but Reira kept talking faster and faster and before he knew it, she dropped that 'boyfriend' bombshell on everyone. He turned reflexively, thinking he could make a mad dash the rest of the way but before he could, he was stopped dead in his tracks.

"Freeze!" Freyja exclaimed, glaring at Hikaru and pointing a finger accusingly at him. The boy had backed himself into a corner with his hands braced against the walls, a terrified look on his face as he watched Freyja stomp across the room and grab his shirt, bringing his nose to within inches of hers.

"You told Reira she could call you her boyfriend? She's only six years old!"

"Don't blame me!" he said, holding his hands up in mock surrender. "It wasn't my fault! She guilted me into do it!"

Hinata scoffed at the idea. "I find that very hard to believe, Hikaru. You're almost nine years old, and she just turned six. How, pray tell did she 'guilt-trip' you into doing something like that?"

"That's easy, miss Hinata," Reira said matter-of-factly, "I did the same thing to him that you and miss Hanabi do to mister Naruto and mister Konohamaru. You know, where you give them the puppy dog eyes and then let your lower lip tremble a little bit before you start to cry. It was only when I started sobbing really loudly that Hikaru-kun finally gave in."

Realizing that Reira actually was the one responsible for the whole 'boyfriend' thing, Freyja released his shirt and sat back down at the table to eat her cake. She'd known for weeks that her daughter had a crush on Hikaru, but she figured playing dumb like she didn't know would be funny as hell.

"Reira, it's not very nice to do that to people." Hinata said disapprovingly.

Reira looked at her curiously. "Well, if it's not very nice then why do you do it to mister Naruto?"

Naruto and Freyja snorted, trying not to laugh. Reira was apparently a lot smarter than she let on, and she was using her innocence against Hinata and Hikaru in the worst way. It was both terrifying and hilarious to watch at the same time.

Unable to come up with a better answer she simply said, "Because it's different when grown-ups do it. And I don't think it's a good idea for you to be having a boyfriend at your age at all. You're only six years old."

Hikaru sighed and relaxed a bit. "Thanks for saying that, Mom."

Reira frowned, not liking either Hikaru or Hinata's response. "Miss Hinata, you just said that what Hikaru-kun did for me was just like what mister Naruto did for you when you were younger. How old were you when that happened?"

"I was six. Why?"

Reira pressed on. "And how old were you when you decided you liked mister Naruto?"

"Six."

"And how old were you when you decided you wanted to marry him?"

Hinata gave a defeated sigh. "I was six."

"So how was it okay for you but it's not okay for me?"

Hinata frowned at the girl, clearly not happy that Reira was using her own argument against her. She opened her mouth to say something but before she could she heard snickering. She looked over to see Naruto, Kakashi and Freyja with their heads down, purposely avoiding the conversation and doing a very poor job of trying to hide their laughter.

"I think this is one of the best cakes I've ever eaten – other than the one at my wedding, of course." Naruto said with barely suppressed mirth. "What do you think, Freyja? Do you like it?"

"I like it, but I would have gone with chocolate frosting on chocolate cake instead," Freyja replied, the same smirk present on her face. "How about you, Kakashi?"

"Mrf prefty gouf," Kakashi mumbled, his mouth stuffed full of cake behind his mask. "I coun go fur 'nuther peese."

Hinata shot them all a scathing look. "You're cowards, all of you." Her brows knit as she suddenly remembered something. "Wait a minute, Reira – those boys at the park…you said their chakra reminded you of rotting fruit and sour milk. What did you mean by that?"

"I can tell what people's chakra feels like. Those bullies reminded me of spoiled food. But Hikaru-kun's chakra is really warm – it reminds me of the summer sun. It's not the only reason why I like him – he's strong, and kind, and protective, and very, very sweet. But his chakra just feels so…_special."_

"That's…interesting." Hinata said hesitantly. "Tell me – what does my chakra remind you of?"

Reira thought about that for a moment. "I'd say flowers. Probably tulips if I had to guess."

Hinata found that to be a rather intriguing choice, since pressing flowers was one of her favorite hobbies. Purple tulips meant royalty, white meant forgiveness, pink meant caring, and yellow meant hopelessly in love. Naruto had used those words on more than one occasion to describe her, and she loved her husband beyond measure for subconsciously doing little things like that.

"How…How about Naruto-kun?"

Reira scrunched her face as she scrutinized him. "He's a bit tougher. I think his chakra is supposed to feel like the summer sun, just like Hikaru-kun, but instead it's more like a cloudy day. There's something he's waiting for to happen, something big…and when it does, it'll chase the clouds away and the sun will start shining again. Until then, he's just kind of…_gray."_

There was an uncomfortable silence as everyone around the table digested that information. Without trying to, Reira's description of Naruto was pretty spot-on. The only one who didn't have a serious look on their face was Hikaru, who was now staring at Reira with the same terrified look he wore before.

"Well Hikaru, it sounds like your fate is sealed." Naruto said offhandedly. "Your situation is almost exactly like me and your mother when we were kids, but the only difference is that Reira doesn't have a problem letting you know how she feels. I think she should still keep the whole 'boyfriend' thing to herself for now, but it's only a matter of **_when,_** and not **_if_** the two of you get together."

Hikaru started to tremble in abject fear, and it was only when Reira gave him a sickly-sweet smile in return that he finally snapped.

"**_GAAH!"_** He yelled, running out of the dining room, flailing his hands over his head. They heard him bound up the stairs and slam the door to his room, locking it noisily behind him.

"Oh yeah," Freyja said to Naruto, chuckling wickedly. "I have to agree with you, Gabriel. That kid of yours is totally screwed."

* * *

Later that same night, about an hour after the sun had completely set Kakashi and Freyja were seen walking side by side down a road in one of the less populated areas of Konoha. Kakashi had his ever present Icha Icha novel out and was reading it right in front of Freyja, who oddly enough didn't seem to mind.

Freyja hadn't been in the village for very long, but she was quickly making a name for herself. Her angular features and hairstyle made it clear that she wasn't born in fire country, while her gruff personality and piercing eyes told everyone that she was _definitely_ someone to be taken seriously.

It was her skills as a kunoichi though, that were bringing her the most recognition. Just a few days ago, at Sasuke Uchiha's insistence she'd taken on a squad of elite ANBU jōnin as part of a training exercise. She suffered a fractured arm, two broken ribs and a punctured lung but everyone else ended up in Konoha hospital, wearing full body casts.

Rumor had been swirling around the village for the past few weeks that Kakashi and Freyja were seeing each other, which made perfect sense. Only a former Kage could hope to date a woman as powerful and deadly as Freyja without the risk of ending up in the hospital next to the ANBU.

"So where are we headed again?" Freyja asked curtly.

Kakashi snapped his book shut and put it away. "I thought I'd take you someplace special. Naruto used to go here a lot when he was a kid. You'll see why when we get there."

"And how long before we actually **_get_** to this place? We've been walking around for almost an hour, and haven't said ten words to each other."

Kakashi stopped suddenly. "We're almost there," he said, extending his hands towards her. "Just take my hands and close your eyes. I'll get us where we need to go."

Freyja eyed him suspiciously for a few seconds before placing her hands in his and closing her eyes. Kakashi smiled underneath his mask, and then used the shunshin to transport them both to the top of Hokage Mountain. Once there, he led her to the railing at the edge of the cliff and let her hands go, taking a step back.

"Okay, you can open your eyes now."

Freyja opened her eyes and saw the expanse of Konoha lit up below her; the streetlights and houses dotting the darkened landscape like stars, only they were on the ground rather than the sky. She'd seen this sight before in the capitals of Fire and Earth Country, but it had felt… _overdone and congested._ Somehow here in Konoha, it looked absolutely perfect.

Freyja stepped forward, gripping the rail in front of her. "Wow." she breathed, mesmerized by the view.

"Yeah. Wow." Kakashi replied, also mesmerized by the view. Only he was looking at her and not Konoha when he said it.

From his tone of voice, Freyja couldn't help but glance at him out of the corner of her eye. When she noticed that he'd been staring at her the whole time she frowned, before turning her gaze back towards the village. She gripped the rail so hard, her arms started to shake and her knuckles turned white.

Kakashi saw this and became alarmed. "Freyja? What's wrong?"

"Kakashi, do you know why I'm here?" she asked after a brief moment of silence.

"Umm, that's…a strange question," he answered, raising his eyebrow in confusion. "I asked you to take a walk with me after we finished with Reira's birthday party. I said I wanted to show you something special, remember?"

"That's not what I'm talking about. Do you know why I'm here **_with you?_**"

"I'm still going with the answer I just gave you," he said, shaking his head. "Could you be a bit more specific?"

Freyja glared at him. "Fine. Do you know the origin of my name? Why I have the rules that I do?"

"You said once they were a warrior race of women."

"That's right. The one thing they recognize and respect is strength. It's why I took the name that I did – because I knew that whoever had the strength to beat me could protect what was important and precious to me as well." She was suddenly angry about the emotions she felt bubbling up inside her, and she needed to confront Kakashi about them, since he was the cause of it all. "I'm not supposed to be here with you unless you beat me in a fight and that didn't happen, so why don't you use that big fucking brain of yours and tell me – what's the **_real_** reason why I'm here with you right now?"

Feeling more than a bit intimidated, Kakashi blinked his lone visible eye at her and said, "Well…if I had to give you an answer I'd say it's because of your daughter. For some reason, you abandoned your principles and let her make the ultimate decision on this."

Freyja grabbed his shirt aggressively and yanked his face down to within inches of hers. "That's right. My daughter is my life and my world. She means everything to me and I'll do anything – and I mean **_anything_** to guarantee that she'll be safe and happy. Even though I wasn't anywhere close to being pregnant with Reira at the time, Saladin knew _exactly_ what he was doing when he gave me my name and the rules that go along with it. I wanted to make sure that if something ever happened to me, that the man in my life would not only **_want_** to take care of my daughter and make sure she's happy, but also have the strength to protect her from whatever got thrown their way."

"Okay, okay – I get that." Kakashi said fervently. "But if that's true, then why did you allow her to let me date you at all?"

She glared at him, debating on whether or not to answer his question. After about ten seconds, she shoved him away and replied, "Because…I want what Gabriel has."

"Okay, I'm right back to not understanding what you're talking about."

"Do…Do you remember what Reira said at the house about chakra?" Freyja asked hesitantly.

Kakashi nodded. "That she can actually _feel_ what a person's chakra is like? Yes, I remember."

"The day Gabriel got back from his mission to see Saladin is when I found out Reira could do that. When I asked her what my chakra felt like do you know what she said? _Rocks_…she said my chakra reminded her of walking on sharp rocks. Do you know what it's like, having your own daughter sum up your life and personality so bluntly? To be told that she knows the reason why no one wants to be around you? Because my attitude sucks and my mannerisms are so… _abrasive?"_

Kakashi kept his mouth shut. Interrupting Freyja right now would be a bad idea, in more ways than one.

"But when Reira saw how depressed that made me, she told me not to worry because there's someone out there whose chakra feels like…_comfortable shoes._ And when I found this person, it wouldn't make a difference how sharp my chakra feels because this man would walk with me wherever I go."

The light came on over his head, as he remembered the time he'd come by the house to ask Freyja for another chance. "Ah. Now the whole thing that day where Reira pointed at me and said 'comfortable shoes' actually makes sense."

Freyja turned away from him, squeezing her eyes shut in embarrassment. "Gabriel…he and I both joined the Mienai Segi for different reasons, but the one thing we have in common is that we've both had shitty lives. I worked with him for several years, and I probably don't know him as well as you do but…but when I see him now, it's like he has it all. He's in charge of this whole village, he has a gorgeous house, and a wife who loves him despite how fucked up he is. He even has a son he didn't know about! The kid may not look like him, but he sure as hell acts like him."

She whipped back around, jabbing her index finger into his chest repeatedly in anger. "I sacrificed a large part of my life to find someone strong enough to protect Reira. Gideon is a megalomaniac who cares only for himself, but when he beat me in a fight I thought, hey – if he can protect what's precious to me, maybe it's worth it – except that during the entire relationship, he treated me like shit. Like I was some meaningless little piss-ant put there to wait on him hand and foot – as well as satisfy his every whim."

"Then…Then I screwed up and got pregnant with Reira. I thought maybe once Gideon got over his whole 'God' complex, I'd tell him he had a daughter because he might actually care about something like that, but it never happened. Actually, it got even worse as time went on, until the day came when I realized he was plotting against Saladin. That's when I decided I'd had enough and came here with Reira, hoping for something… _better._"

Kakashi could only stare in stunned silence as he saw tears of anger and frustration build in Freyja's eyes, mainly because it was such an odd sight to see on the tough as nails kunoichi.

For her part, Freyja was struggling with herself. Every thought, every emotion she'd kept bottled up over the years – even from before she joined the Mienai Segi – was coming to a head, and she was primed and ready to explode. And Kakashi was the one who was going to bear the brunt of it, whether he liked it or not.

"Now Reira is happy – she's got Gabriel, Sasuke and you to protect her, and even though he's creeped out by my daughter and her crush on him, I know Hikaru will die to protect her as well, because he's just like his father. We've got tons of money, so that isn't even an issue. But when Reira told me that you're the guy with chakra that feels like comfortable shoes, I thought – why does making sure Reira is happy mean that I can't be happy as well? Why can't I have what Gabriel has?"

"And you!" she snapped at him, baring her teeth, "You've been so gung-ho on dating me ever since I stepped foot in this village, and yet here we are – we've been 'together' for over a month, and you haven't held my hand once or even tried to kiss me! Why not? Decided you've had enough? Figured that you don't want the responsibility of taking care of a kid that isn't yours? That I'm so fucked up you think we're better off as friends? **_What is it? Tell me!_**"

Kakashi wasn't a genius, but it didn't take one to figure out what was going on here. Freyja pretty much admitted she'd been treated like shit for most of her life, and somehow through the course of it all she decided – why fight it anymore? Better to accept her lot in life and deal with it, rather than hope for something better. There's only so many times a person can watch their dreams break before they break themselves.

And now, in the space of a few months her entire world had turned on its edge. Both she and Reira had a new life in Konoha – no more running or hiding, because she was protected by several of the most powerful shinobi in the elemental nations. Naruto, Hinata and Hikaru considered them to be family, just as much as their own. They had friends who cared about them. Reira was happy and content, which is what she always wanted for her daughter.

Freyja however, was angry and afraid. She was angry at herself for feeling this vulnerable. She was angry at him for making her feel that way. And she was afraid of her dream being ripped away, like so many times before. She was afraid of being rejected, because for a brief moment she'd dared to feel something in her heart again – to feel hope – and she didn't know if she could take the pain of losing it one more time. She wanted someone to accept her, flaws and all.

Kakashi could only assume this was a common thread among the Mienai Segi, because her situation was so similar to Naruto's, it was almost frightening.

Not that any of that would deter him, of course. If he didn't want to be with her, he wouldn't have been so persistent in the first place. He realized how wrong he was in not making the first move because that's what Freyja had been waiting for all along and right now, she needed reassurance more than ever that despite what she just said and did, he wasn't scared…_and wasn't going anywhere._

He stepped forward, reaching out with his hand but stopped halfway for a moment before continuing on. With his thumb, he gently wiped the tears from her cheeks and smiled at her underneath his mask.

"None of those are the reasons why I haven't done anything, Freyja." He said soothingly. "It's because even though you told Reira to make the decision for you, it doesn't necessarily mean you agree with it. Despite how strongly I feel about you, it still doesn't mean you feel the same way about me, and I may be a lot of things – including a pervert who publically reads erotic literature – but I'm not an egotist, and I won't force myself on anyone."

Freyja stared at him in disbelief. "That's it? _That's the reason?_ You haven't made a move on me because _you're afraid?_"

Kakashi shook his head, not agreeing with her summary of the situation. "Not afraid – respectful of someone else's feelings. You've got enough burdens to bear right now, and I didn't want to add one more to your already large pile. I figured if and when you were interested, you'd let me know and if you weren't, well – you'd let me know that too. Until then, I'm happy to wait because my personal feeling is that you're worth it. I just…hope you give me the chance, but don't think you're obligated to by any means."

Freyja could hardly believe it. These past few weeks, she figured that after Kakashi had time to really think about it, he decided that she came with far too much baggage and was just looking for a way to let her down easy, when in truth it was the other way around – he was trying to be a nice guy and give HER the chance at backing out. He wasn't going to force her into a relationship because of some rule or what someone else said – he wanted the decision to be hers and hers alone.

For some reason, his genuine concern for both her and her feelings touched a spot deep within her heart – a place that long ago, had turned cold and dark to escape the pain of an uncaring, unfeeling life. Now something was lighting the darkness, turning the cold areas warm and she was suddenly eager to take that first step Kakashi had been so adamantly talking about.

She slowly reached up and hooked her fingers in his mask, pulling it down gently and exposing his lips. Her eyes searched his face for a moment and then her tongue came out, licking her own lips to moisten them before leaning in and kissing him.

Once she did, the warmth she had felt in her chest ignited and became a raging furnace, the heat surging throughout her body at breakneck speed. Beads of sweat formed on her brow and hungry for more she threw herself into it wholeheartedly, shoving her tongue in his mouth and deepening the passion of the kiss, weaving her fingers into his hair. Every single part of her body was burning with desire, but none more so than the area between her legs – she had completely soaked through the black lace thong she was wearing almost instantly.

Initially, Kakashi had decided to remain still as Freyja moved closer to him, pulling down his mask and licking her lips. However, when she pressed them against his all those thoughts disappeared and his resolve crumbled. His body suddenly felt weak, like he'd starved himself for days on end and every nerve ending in his body tingled, as if the flow of blood had been restored after being deprived of it for so long. When she shoved her tongue into his mouth it almost pushed him over the edge but somehow he kept his lust in check. Anxious to feel the contours of her body, he wrapped his hands firmly around her waist and pulled her against him. As she responded back – rather enthusiastically – his only thought was that the two of them meshed perfectly, like interlocking puzzle pieces.

It was also hard not to notice the heat her core was giving off – mainly because she was pressing it against the growing erection in his pants. He knew Freyja couldn't help but feel it, and he felt somewhat relieved that she didn't pull away from him after 'bumping' into it…_repeatedly._

After what seemed like an eternity, but in actuality was only a minute they broke apart, panting heavily – both of them feeling like they had just run a marathon…a very hot and sensual marathon. Their eyes met and the world seemed to fade away, their only focus being on each other.

"Wow." Freyja said breathlessly.

"Yeah. Wow." Kakashi **had** to agree with her. There was really nothing else he could say after a kiss like that.

The two of them stayed that way for several moments, their foreheads pressed together until Kakashi decided to break the silence.

"So…what happens now?"

Freyja smiled sensuously. "I think now, we go back to your place. I'm interested in finding out just how good you are at remembering stuff from those perverted books you're always reading."

* * *

It was Sunday morning, and it had been very busy for Naruto. Since he was going to Suna tomorrow, he figured he'd get as much paperwork done as he could before leaving. Shadow clones had been okay for the majority of the small, idle stuff – but for the last hour he'd been going over some of the revised curriculum ideas Mina and Iruka had come up with for the academy. He figured something like that was important enough to merit his full, undivided attention.

Of course, that didn't mean the subject wasn't boring as hell – because it was. He just wished something would come along and break the monotony.

Kami must have heard his thoughts, because no sooner had he finished then Kakashi walked into his office…no, scratch that – he _limped_ into his office, practically dragging his right leg behind him. He closed the door behind him, made his way over to the couch and collapsed on it, the only visible part of his face wincing in pain as he did so. He pulled out his ever present book and absently flipped it open to one of the chapters.

"Well, good morning to you too, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto said sarcastically, looking up at the clock. It said eleven thirty, so technically it still **_was_** morning, but just barely. "Care to tell me why you literally just dragged yourself into my office?"

Kakashi peeked at him over the top of his book for a moment, and then quickly lowered his eyes back onto the page.

"Does it have anything to do with the fact that Freyja didn't come home last night?" Naruto prodded further, sporting a goofy grin.

Kakashi placed his book on the end table next to the couch and sighed heavily. "My…My hip is dislocated."

"Why Kakashi-sensei, how on earth did something like that happen?" The corners of Naruto's mouth twitched upwards. "I'm pretty sure I know who did it and why, but I'd like to hear it from you directly – just to make sure I got it right. You know…in case someone asks."

"Freyja…We went for a walk, and I brought her to the top of the Hokage Monument. You know, that spot you always liked as a kid where the entire village is laid out perfectly in front of you? Well, one thing led to another and…she came back to my place after that. We had sex until four in the morning."

"Ha! I knew it!" Naruto exclaimed, slapping the desk while a full-blown grin appeared on his face. "But how did you dislocate your hip?"

"Because she's an animal!" Kakashi said in exasperation, pointing towards the end table. "She insisted that we re-enact every chapter from that book I've been reading, and when we got to chapter ten… there's a scene where the woman is on top, riding the man underneath her like a horse that hasn't been broken yet. Freyja was very… _enthusiastic_ about it. In addition to my hip, I've got scratch marks all over my upper body and I think she cracked two of my ribs."

Naruto winced. "Ouch. Why haven't you gone to the hospital and gotten yourself taken care of yet?"

"What am I supposed to tell them, Naruto? That I'm like this because of a night of unbelievably passionate sex with a woman who demanded on taking the top role? Not a chance – they're going to want details and I'm not giving them any. And there's no way I can pawn my injuries off as a simple training accident – not with all the scratches on my chest."

"You know Kakashi-sensei, I'm curious about something. If she did that much damage to you, why didn't you stop her after the first injury? All that stuff couldn't have happened at the same time."

Kakashi closed his eyes and sighed contentedly. "Because it was fucking incredible, that's why. Angry sex is amazing. Last night was totally worth the pain I'm feeling right now."

Naruto filed that bit of information away for future reference – although he doubted it'd ever be useful. Even though their sex life was fantastic and beyond anything he could have imagined, Naruto knew that Hinata just wasn't that type of person.

"Well, you could have just gone to see Tsunade and she would have healed you. I'm sure she's seen much worse from patching up pervy-sage over the years. Hell, she probably even _caused_ some of those injuries when she caught him peeking on the women's baths. But that still doesn't explain why you're here, of all places – and not home in bed recovering."

Kakashi cursed himself silently. Naruto was right about Tsunade – if there's one person who would keep his condition quiet it's her, and she's the best healer in the elemental nations. But as for the rest, there was a legitimate reason why he was sitting on Naruto's couch, and not home in bed.

"I needed a place to hide." Kakashi said dejectedly. "I…I can't keep up with her sex drive. Maybe she hasn't had it in a while. Maybe she let loose because she knows I really care about her. Whatever the reason, all I know is I'm exhausted, and I figured the last place she'd look for me is in the most obvious spot. If I'm careful and mask my chakra signature, the only thing she'll sense if she scans this office is your chakra, and not mine."

No sooner had Kakashi finished his statement then Naruto felt a familiar presence getting closer. He smirked as he thought to himself, _You obviously don't know Freyja, or the training the Mienai Segi go through, because you're about to be found out in 3… 2… 1…_

The door to Naruto's office flew open and there stood Freyja, with a wicked grin on her face. Kakashi was staring back at her, his eye wide with surprise. He was sure he'd kept his chakra low – how the hell did she find him?

"Hey there, sexy…" she drawled seductively. "What're you doing here? I left your place to get us some breakfast and by the time I got back, you were gone." She walked slowly towards him, grinning lasciviously. "That book of yours has twenty-nine chapters, and we only got up to number fifteen last night."

As Kakashi watched her getting closer, two things ran through his head. First, he hadn't had a chance for someone to heal him yet and second, what she was suggesting promised a whole new round of pain – never mind that the sex would probably be phenomenal.

He quickly made the decision to run for it, despite the fact that he couldn't move very fast, so he stood up and hobbled slowly towards the window. Freyja actually laughed at his pathetic excuse of an escape attempt and easily caught him, grabbing him by his one good leg and dragging him out the door, while Kakashi clawed at the floor in a futile effort to stop her.

Naruto saw the mixed look of both fear and anticipation in Kakashi's eyes and felt a little sympathetic towards his former sensei. Only a little, though – the rest of him was silently laughing his ass off at Kakashi's predicament. _Reap what you sow, you one-eyed pervert!_

"Umm, Freyja? Just a reminder, but I need Kakashi-sensei to watch the village for a few days, starting tomorrow. Please don't break him so badly that he's unable to do the job." Naruto perked up as he suddenly remembered something else – and now that Freyja and Kakashi were _actually_ together, he didn't see the harm in finally asking. "Oh, and Might Guy has been bugging me about having a sparring match with you. Are you interested?"

"Yeah, yeah – no problem." Freyja said offhandedly, her face a mixture of determination and lust. "Just make sure it's not during this coming week. I've got a lot of catching up to do with lover-boy over here."

Naruto laughed silently to himself as he watched Freyja disappear out the door, still dragging Kakashi who was still clawing in vain at the carpet. Naruto chuckled wryly as he saw the petrified look on Kakashi's face before it disappeared as well.

Closing the door behind them, Naruto wondered how long before the next interruption walked into his office. As luck would have it, it was close to thirty minutes before Hinata walked into his office, a smile on her face and a handbag slung over her shoulder.

"Hey there, Hinata-hime." Naruto said brightly, smiling at his wife. "What brings you here today?"

"Hello, Naruto-kun." Hinata replied warmly, sitting down on the couch. "My father insisted on having breakfast with Tenten, Hanabi and myself this morning and we just finished up a little while ago. He's been making a serious effort lately to connect with the three of us, and it's actually been nice being around him and talking with him. All of us are still a bit shocked at the turnaround in his personality – we're not used to seeing him so concerned about us and interested in our lives. Anyway, Hikaru and Reira are at Kurenai-sensei's house hanging out with Asuma, so I thought it might be nice to come by and see what you're doing for lunch."

"Lunch? You just said you met everyone for breakfast."

"I know, but that was over three hours ago and I'm starving." She reached into her bag and pulled out a sandwich, which she unwrapped and began eating ravenously.

_I know I'm going to regret this, but…_ "Umm, Hinata? You just asked me to go to lunch, so why are you eating a sandwich?" Naruto wrinkled his nose as the smell finally reached him. "And what the heck is in that thing?"

Hinata swallowed what she was chewing and said, "This is just a little snack to tide me over until we actually have lunch. Its tuna fish with grape jelly, turnip slices and limburger cheese on rye bread." She extended it towards her husband, smiling innocently. "It's pretty good. Want to try a bite?"

For the last several weeks, Naruto had been watching Hinata eat one nightmare food concoction after another, but this sandwich was the last straw. When she extended it towards him, he felt the contents of his stomach start to rise. He slapped his hand over his mouth, sprinting out the door towards the bathroom, leaving Hinata all by herself in his office.

Hinata shrugged, taking another bite. She didn't understand what all the fuss was about; it was a perfectly good sandwich. As she sat in silence waiting for Naruto to return, her eyes wandered around the room and happened to settle on a book resting on the end table next to the couch. It was open to a specific section and the pages were face down, leaving the front and back covers in full view.

_"What's this?" Hinata wondered, picking it up as she took another bite of her sandwich. Icha Icha Series – Mistresses and Strangers. This is one of those perverted books Kurenai-sensei is always going on about. What's Naruto-kun doing with it in his office?_

**Suddenly curious, she flipped it over and began to read… (A/N: Read at your own risk – the following two paragraphs are smut!)**

* * *

_Shinji's breathing deepened, and his manhood stood proudly before him, hard as steel. He pushed Kyoko against the wall, his hands sliding up under her skirt and roughly grabbing her ass, giving it a good squeeze. Kyoko inhaled sharply, her nails digging into his bare, muscular back as his right hand wandered back towards her front and found her weeping womanhood. His fingers danced over her pleasure point, sending waves of rapture throughout her body. She twitched and trembled with every flick of his digits, and then his fingers were replaced with the tip of his erection, poised at her flowing opening. She lifted her legs up and wrapped them around his waist, positioning herself so that he could enter her body and give her the release she sought._

_Kyoko moaned as he entered her, filling her completely. Shinji pressed his lips against her pulse point, leaving a trail of wet kisses as he traveled down her shoulder. Just as Kyoyo was about to ask why he wasn't moving, Shinji drew his hips back and thrust into her with enough force to send her head reeling. He was being rough and hard, not painfully so but enough so that she gasped every time he bottomed out inside of her._

* * *

A light blush stained her cheeks as Hinata stared wide eyed at the page, shocked that something so…_graphic_ was lying around in plain view in her husband's office.

_Is this Naruto-kun's book? Why is he reading something like this? And this part he left it open to, I…I can't believe what I'm seeing! The things they're doing in here are so indecent, so offensive, so… hot…_

_Hinata checked her thoughts. Wait, did I just say hot? I meant disturbing… Hinata silently said, as her eyes continued to trail down the page. Yes, vulgar and disturbing… Especially this part right here… and here… and I didn't know you could use bananas for that..._

"Hinata!" Naruto called to her from down the hall.

Startled, Hinata's head snapped up, thinking she had been caught red handed looking at something perverted. When she didn't hear any footsteps, she heaved a sigh of relief and responded, "Yes, Naruto-kun?"

"Are you done eating your sandwich?"

Hinata noticed she was still holding part of her sandwich. She'd been so engrossed with reading the book, she'd forgotten to finish eating it. "Almost. I only have a few bites left."

"Then can you finish up so that we can go to lunch?" Naruto's voice pleaded. "Although to be perfectly honest, I've kind of lost my appetite after seeing you eat that thing…"

Hinata quickly wolfed down the last two bites of her sandwich, then fixated her eyes on pages in front of her.

_I can't leave this lying around, Hinata reasoned in her head. Naruto-kun will surely get in trouble if someone important, like a dignitary or ambassador saw this in his office. I should take it with me… and I'll tell him later that I have it. He'll thank me, I know it._

She glanced back down at the book, and then hurriedly placed it in her handbag before standing up and walking out the door, closing it behind her.

_Yes, that's what I'll do. I'll tell Naruto-kun that I saved his reputation by taking the book with me. Hinata said to herself, smiling innocently. But not before I find out what happens between Shinji and Kyoko._

* * *

At midmorning on Monday, a group of shinobi wearing Konoha hitai-ate suddenly appeared at the front gates of Suna in a flash of yellow light. The guards were immediately on alert, since they hadn't seen anyone approaching the gates and furthermore, they hadn't been informed that anyone from Konoha would be arriving today.

They relaxed when they recognized it was Naruto, clad in golden flames standing at the forefront, with Temari and two unknown shinobi in tow. Although once they saw Temari, the unannounced visit made much more sense considering the Kazekage's wife, Matsuri had given birth within the last week or so.

"Welcome to Suna, Hokage-sama." One of the guards said, bowing in respect as Naruto powered down. "And it's good to see you as well, Princess Temari. We weren't informed you'd be visiting today, but I assume you're here for the obvious reason?"

"You got that right, pinhead." Temari growled. "Where's my brother right now? At home or the Kazekage tower?"

The guard blinked, slightly taken aback. Despite her blunt personality, Temari had always been courteous with people but what she'd just said was a bit harsh, even for someone like her.

"Umm...He's at the Kazekage Tower, in his office. Matsuri-sama is there, along with their baby as well. Kazekage-sama didn't want to take time off from running the village, but also didn't want to be apart from them either. As a compromise, he had one of the adjoining rooms redecorated for Matsuri-sama to use during the day."

"Fine. Then I'm going on ahead." She said flatly, staring at Naruto. "Once you get through signing in those two wet-behind-the-ears chūnin you brought with us, I'll see you at Gaara's office." And before Naruto could respond, she took off over the rooftops towards the Kazekage tower.

Naruto sighed wearily. "Sorry, guys." He said apologetically to everyone present. "You'll have to excuse Temari. It's the pregnancy hormones that are making her act this way."

"Temari-sama is pregnant?" the guards asked in unison.

Naruto quickly realized that once again, he let slip something he probably shouldn't have. He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly and said, "Yeah, but she doesn't know it yet. I kind of have this knack for telling things like this. Could you do me a favor and keep this a secret for the rest of the day? By then, I'll have told Temari and Gaara and the news will be all over Suna. Besides…" he finished drolly, "…can you imagine what would happen to the two of you if Temari found out you were the ones responsible for telling everyone she was pregnant before she even knew of it herself?"

The two guards blanched as a look passed between them. "We understand, Hokage-sama." The first guard replied nervously. "You have our word that we'll keep the information to ourselves."

"Thanks, guys." He turned to look at Moegi and Udon. "Now let's get you two signed in, so we can get to Gaara's office as soon as possible. I have to formally give you over to Suna, and then I have some important business to discuss with him."

It only took a minute to sign them in, but by the time they arrived at Gaara's office Temari was already there, fawning all over her niece.

"Hello Naruto," Gaara said, extending his hand in welcome. "I had a feeling you'd be stopping by sometime soon, after receiving the message from me. Although, I would have thought you'd have informed me that you were coming prior to your arrival in Suna. Was it my sister who forced you to come here sooner?"

"Nice to see you too, Gaara." Naruto replied warmly, shaking his fellow Kage's hand. "And no, Temari didn't have anything to do with my quick arrival in Suna. As a matter of fact, she didn't even know we were coming here until I told her yesterday."

"Ah." Gaara said dully. He looked at Moegi and Udon, raising an inquisitive eyebrow. "And these people accompanying you are…?"

"Oh I'm sorry, where are my manners? Gaara, this is Moegi and Udon. They're here to, umm…ahem…" Naruto cleared his throat, glancing nervously at Temari out of the corner of his eye, subtly hinting that this had to do with the agreement they signed to let her come to Konoha. Of course, she still didn't know the details and both Naruto and Gaara had decided the day they'd made the agreement that it would be safer for everyone concerned – including Shikamaru – if it stayed that way.

Gaara understood immediately what Naruto was getting at. "I see. I believe we can discuss that later, when there are fewer guests around. But for now, let's get them some accommodations." He pushed a button on his desk, and within moments an ANBU appeared in the center of the room.

"Yes, Kazekage-sama?"

Gaara gestured towards Moegi and Udon. "Please escort these two around town, and provide them with any assistance they might need. Rent them a room at the finest hotel in town, and let the manager know that my office will pay the bill. I'll meet with them both later on tonight to discuss matters pertaining to their situation."

The ANBU inclined his head. "Understood, Kazekage-sama."

Before Moegi and Udon had a chance to follow the ANBU out the door Naruto placed a hand on their shoulders, stopping them both.

"I'm going to be in Suna for the next few days, and I promise we'll hang out and talk before I leave. Okay?" There was so much more he wanted to say right now, but he didn't dare with Temari in the room. It would have to wait for another time and place.

Moegi stepped forward and hugged him briefly and then pulled back, a small smile appearing on her lips. She nodded in agreement and walked out the door.

Naruto watched her go and as he did, visions of his own childhood came to the front of his mind. She, Udon and Konohamaru had made themselves his 'unofficial' students when he was still a teenager, and they were among only a handful of people who hadn't treated him like a pariah from the outset. But as he looked at her now all he could see was a reflection of himself, pining over Sakura without knowing the pain and anguish it would cause him later.

Life was full of regrets, but maybe he could keep one from happening in the first place. He placed his hand on Udon's shoulder and fixed him with a piercing stare.

"Udon," He said fiercely, "Don't you dare give up on her, understand?"

Udon knit his brow, wondering what Naruto was talking about until the realization suddenly hit him, and the look in his eyes changed from uncertainty and confusion, to one of confidence and determination. He hugged Naruto briefly as well, before pulling back and nodding wordlessly in agreement. He followed Moegi out of the office, and the ANBU trailing behind him closed the door as they left.

Naruto heaved a heavy sigh and then turned back to Gaara, a smile once again appearing on his face. "So, Gaara – why don't we get to the good stuff, and you show me the new addition to your family?"

"I'd be happy to, Naruto." Garra said, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly. They walked over to where Temari and Matsuri were sitting, and Naruto leaned over to see the baby Matsuri was cradling in her arms. She was sleeping, so he couldn't see what color her eyes were but the tuft of chestnut hair peeking at him from underneath the knit cap on top of her head told him she'd inherited more from Matsuri than from Gaara. She had one wrinkled fist curled up against her mouth, and she was trying to suck on it while she slept.

"She's beautiful, Gaara. What did you name her?"

"Matsuri and I had quite the discussion about that. We couldn't seem to come to an agreement on what to name her, but in the end we decided to call her Chiyo. The two of us couldn't think of a better way to honor the woman who gave her life for mine."

Naruto nodded, agreeing completely with the choice and not that either Gaara or Matsuri needed it, but he was sure the villagers approved as well. Chiyo might have been a crazy old crone at the end, but she had still been beloved by everyone.

But as much as he wanted to pester his jinchuuriki brother about how he was dealing with life as a new father, he'd have to postpone asking about that because there were more pressing matters to discuss.

"Listen, Gaara…I really don't mean to sound rude, but there's some private Kage matters I need to discuss with you that really can't wait. Do you think you could…?" He asked, trailing off as he motioned his head towards Temari, Matsuri and the baby.

The look on Gaara's face clearly showed that he's much prefer to be talking about his daughter, rather than business matters. "If we must. Matsuri, I apologize but could you please take Temari and Chiyo into your room for a bit?"

"Sure, Gaara." Matsuri replied, smiling affectionately at him. "Come on, Temari – let's give the boys some privacy and you can tell me when you're due."

"Due?" Temari asked, furrowing her brown in confusion as they walked towards Matsuri's private room. "Due for what?"

"Your pregnancy, of course. I assumed you knew."

"Matsuri, I think you lost some brain cells giving birth to my niece. I'm _not_ pregnant."

"Trust me on this, Temari. Any mother knows when another woman is pregnant. But just to make it interesting, how about we bet dinner at your favorite restaurant in town that I'm right?"

As the door closed behind them, Gaara once again raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "After the unorthodox display at your wedding involving Matsuri, I have to ask…do you agree with my wife that Temari is pregnant?"

Naruto nodded reluctantly. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure. I didn't even know until yesterday when I stopped by the Nara estate to let her know we were coming to Suna today and the reasons why."

He chuckled, remembering how the conversation had gone. Shikamaru had been more than happy to let Temari visit Suna, so that he could finally have a few days of peace and quiet and knowing him he probably thought he'd finally get the opportunity to lie around, watching clouds all day since Temari hadn't let him do that once since she came to Konoha. Too bad he didn't know about the visit Freyja was planning on paying him later today to talk about the Mienai Segi. That'll keep him up for days.

"But that's not what I needed to talk privately with you about. And it's not about Moegi and Udon, either."

Gaara motioned him over to the chairs in front of his desk. "Then tell me, Naruto – what's so important that you needed me to ask my wife and daughter to leave my office, taking my temperamental, pregnant sister with them?"

Naruto held up his hand. "Wait just a second." He pulled two seals out of a hidden pocket in his Hokage coat and placed them on the desk. He covered the seals with his hands and pushed chakra into them, causing the symbols to spread out, overlapping each other until the entire room was covered.

Gaara pointed a finger at the symbols now covering his walls, floor and ceiling. "Would you care to explain what this is?"

"Sorry." Naruto said apologetically. "They're modified privacy seals. As far as I know, there's nothing that can get through these, including the Sharingan or the Byakugan."

"I didn't know such a thing was possible, but I have to say the symbology is rather interesting. It reminds me vaguely of the seal I once had that kept Shukaku at bay, as well as the one on your stomach. Is this something you worked on during the time you spent away from Konoha?"

"Nope. This is a bit more advanced than what I'm capable of." Naruto beamed with pride at the Kazekage. "Believe it or not, Hikaru made these."

Gaara's eyes widened almost imperceptibly. "Your son? You're correct in saying I find that hard to believe. I was unaware that he knew any fūinjutsu at all – and unless I've forgotten, he's only eight years old."

"Well, he's going to be nine in about a month but that's not the point. Apparently, he's a true Uzumaki – and no, not in the way you might be thinking. He's got pretty high chakra levels for someone his age, his control is exceptional and as far as fūinjutsu, the kid's a prodigy. He's still learning, and he's been soaking up everything we've been throwing at him like a sponge, but I'd say in about another year he'll be as good as Jiraiya was."

"That's a lofty comparison, yet one I believe you wouldn't make lightly, considering what Jiraiya meant to you. However, this is all incidental and brings us back around to the main topic of conversation, which I will now phrase differently in light of what just happened. What subject is so important that you had to use specially modified privacy seals on my office to talk with me about?"

Naruto heaved an exasperated sigh. This was a moment he'd been dreading, where he'd basically spill most of his guts about the time he spent away from the village. Gaara would know enough not to ask too many pointed questions, but there were details he'd want to know about…things Naruto had never revealed to anyone, even Hinata – mainly because it wasn't her burden to bear, it was his.

He removed his Hokage coat, and then began rolling up the sleeves on his shirt. The expression on his face became flat and impassive as he asked...

"Gaara – have you ever heard of the Mienai Segi?"

* * *

A/N: And that's a wrap! Naruto is letting all of the Kage know about the Mienai Segi, but Perun will take the lead in talking to the Raikage once Naruto gives him permission. What did everyone think about how Perun got the Raikage to believe what he had to say? Like I said at the beginning, full credit to Wacko12 on that one.

I think everyone can now see that the whole thing with Hikaru and Reira is one-sided…at least for the forseeable future. Everyone can pretty much see that Reira has a very intelligent, one track mind. And finally, Kakashi and Freyja get together. I'm gonna have fun writing about them in the future!

Thank you, Solvdrage for the idea about Hinata reading Icha Icha while she's pregnant. I already have several story plotlines developed around that. And now that Temari is pregnant, will her temper be better or worse than Sakura's was? Place your vote when you leave your review!

What's coming up? Darui shows up in Konoha and spills the beans about Perun. What's in the scrolls? Everyone should already know the answer to that, but it will also contain Saladin's final message to Naruto. A lot of information and secrets will be revealed when that happens.

Gilgamesh and whoever else survived the fight make it back to Gideon's hideout. Naruto, Kakashi, Freyja and Sasuke start to do some serious training. Naruto will start to help Ino with her 'problem'. And Hikaru gets a solution to the caged bird seal in a very unusual way…

**_Recommendation time!_** Okay, I gotta tell you guys that thinking of this recommendation was pretty tough. Not because of a lack of stories to recommend, but rather an overabundance of them. I still want to keep with my idea of giving a shout-out to stories that are really good but haven't gotten much traction. I could recommend popular authors and their stories **(Hektols, KingKakashi, Third Fang, Brown Phantom)** but you should already know about them and what they write.

So for the first time, I'm giving a shout out to an author for not one but TWO stories he's released. The author is **tenneyshoes**, and he has some spectacular NaruHina work that you should check out. The main story is called **Sparks**, but he recently wrote a spin-off of it called **The Path We Walk** which centers on Naruto getting a bout of amnesia after he's married to Hinata. Both are phenomenal pieces of work and if you love the emotional stuff between our favorite couple, please head over there and check them out. They're both some of my favorites and I urge you to leave a review and put the author, or perhaps his stories on your favorite/follow list. I'm sure he'd appreciate it.

Here's the link to **The Path We Walk**, as usual remove the spaces and you know what to replace the stars with:

www . fanfiction . ***/ s / 10554957

And here's the one to **Sparks:**

www . fanfiction . ***/ s / 10362969

**REVIEWS!** Okay, fifty seven reviews for last chapter which is a slight bit better than last time, but I think that's good what with all the problems FanFiction had with letting people know my story was released and then the reviews not posting. I always hope for more (I wish I had numbers like **KingKakashi, Third Fang** or **Hektols**) but I'm still hopeful that maybe someday, I'll reach the top of the mountain where they sit.

You guys came up with a few good ideas last chapter, and I put them in my vault for future use. Thanks so much for your creativity, because as you can tell a good portion of the ideas for this story come from you, my readers. I just take those ideas and run with it.

So let's do the same thing I did last chapter, and if you leave a review, also leave me an idea if you can. If I use it, you'll get full credit, you have my word. And I'll personally reply to each and every review and idea, whether I use it or not. And don't forget… reviews make the world go round, they help motivate me to write and they help every chapter get released faster. So even if it's something simple like "good job" or "loved it", it helps to see things like that. So please take ten seconds out of your life and leave me a review to tell me how I'm doing.

That's all for now. Take care and stay safe.

Serious Sam


	28. Ch 27: Bad Decisions

27\. Bad Decisions

**_"Just because someone looks happy doesn't mean they are... because even a white rose has a black shadow." - C.M.H._**

Okay, here's chapter 27 and I have to apologize to you, my faithful readers. I know it's been longer than usual between postings, but I had the worst case of writer's block ever on this chapter, plus the foster child in my home killed my creativity every time I tried to get some writing done. I know it's a lame excuse, but it's really all I have.

The bigger problem was that I rewrote the chapter a few times because there was so much I wanted to put into it and every time I tried to make the pieces fit, it just didn't work. I ended up with this and decided to take the rest and put it in the next chapter, which I already have the outline for and hopefully should take a lot less time to write, as well as advance the plot in a much more meaningful way.

And anyone who'd like to rant about the last few issues of the manga - or the fact that it's going to be ending in a few weeks can do so in a review. Naruto was the first manga that I ever read, it's what got me into the genre and I will miss it, flaws and all. Hopefully when The Last Movie comes out it'll help with my withdrawal symptoms.

So as I do every chapter, I'd like to thank **Titokhan** and my anonymous beta for all their hard work and dedication on this story. You guys help me out more than you can possibly know, and as always it's very much appreciated.

Here's some shout-outs and credit where credit is due for the ideas used in this chapter:

**Lord Farsight**: Your idea about explaining the reason and purpose behind the Mienai Segi, as well as why they didn't help in the war is used here. Hopefully it helps with future chapters and plotlines going forward. Thank you!

**KingKakashi**: I used the idea about Gideon miscalculating Saladin's first move, and the consequences because of it. Appreciate it!

**xHinaLovex:** I put in your thought about Naruto losing another master, and how he might be feeling because of it. I also added a part with your suggestion for Hinata and her 'pregnancy brain'. The entire scene with Hikaru at the academy was based off this one small idea, and I hope you like how I wrote it.

**Zafnak:** I put a small part about the pain from the tattoos being felt by Gideon and his followers. Thanks!

This chapter is also partially dedicated to **Hendrixson** and his awesome story, **For The Love Of The Hokage.** He was kind enough to allow me to beta his latest chapter (as a personal favor) in order to get it released and I have to say it was a real masterpiece. I enjoyed working on it, it's a story I've recommended before and if you haven't checked it out, you need to ASAP. It's a phenomenal piece of work, very well written and the latest chapter was awesome.

And now, the disclaimer! These are becoming harder and harder to dig up, so I thought I'd go for something a bit more obscure for once. Let's see who recognizes this one:

**_Disclaimer - I don't own Naruto, and you must be Ron. It's nice to meet you._**

**_Ron - Nice to meet you too._**

**_Disclaimer - Come on over here, Ron. Let me show you what I'm doing. I'm taking advantage of some of the time off to uh, add a whole new wing on my house here. Gonna rip these walls out and uh, of course re-wire it._**

**_Ron - Really? You gonna make it all 220?_**

**_Disclaimer - Yeah, 220, 221. Whatever it takes._**

* * *

Chapter 27 - Bad Decisions

_"Gaara – have you ever heard of the Mienai Segi?"_

_…While Naruto was having this conversation with his friend and fellow Kage, half a continent away another one was just beginning._

Shikamaru sat in his office, peering over his custom-made Shōgi board. He just finished reviewing five reports that had come in from his spy network in both Iwagakure and Amegakure regarding a large seismic event that occurred almost two weeks ago. While that in and of itself was only somewhat remarkable, every report noted that even though the aftershocks had been quite large, they weren't caused by an earthquake, and the epicenter was somewhere beyond the western border of Earth Country.

Whatever it was that caused tremors must have been monumental in size, and even though Shikamaru had a few theories as to what might have happened, he had received no information to support any of them.

Then there was the matter of several things going on within the village that he was curious about.

The first mystery was Freyja, who had shown up four or five months ago with her daughter in tow. It was obvious that she knew Naruto, and that she'd worked with him during his time away from the village because she and Reira had been living in his house ever since the day they arrived in Konoha. And it was obvious after her fight with Kakashi and her little display last week where she wiped the floor with eight of Sasuke's elite ANBU that she had Kage level skills. But why was she here? And why did she insist on calling him Gabriel, instead of using his real name?

The second mystery was Hiashi Hyūga. For someone who throughout his entire life had been known as cold, harsh and manipulative, he was now making a serious effort to change all that. Furthermore, he'd gotten word that Hiashi had surreptitiously drawn up an agreement naming Neji as his successor – which of course was supposed to be impossible, since Neji was currently branded with the Caged Bird Seal and a member of the branch house. There's no way Hiashi didn't know this, so why go through all the time and effort to not only draw the agreement up, but present it to the Hyūga Clan Elders and convince them to sign it? And why choose Neji, rather than Hanabi?

He was pretty sure that what was going on with the Hyūga clan was tied to the third mystery – and that was Naruto's son, Hikaru. Not many people knew it, but Hikaru was a fūinjutsu prodigy. Shikamaru only knew because every book on the subject - including the most advanced texts the village possessed – had been signed out of the private Konoha archives and given to Hikaru on permanent loan. As dangerous as fūinjutsu could be, even the stupidest, most ignorant person wouldn't give books and scrolls on advanced techniques to someone just learning the basics.

Furthermore, almost every evening at seven o'clock for the past few weeks, Hikaru had been seen entering Tsunade's house and staying for an hour or two. What they were doing was anyone's guess, because immediately afterwards privacy seals went up – ones far more sophisticated than normal. Naruto had also been using them in his office over the last few weeks – including during three visits from Hiashi Hyūga and two with Kakashi, Freyja and Sasuke. Whatever Hikaru was working on, it was important enough to keep hidden from prying eyes, whoever that might be.

So he had a kid that was learning fūinjutsu at a rapid pace, under the veil of extremely advanced and what seemed to be impenetrable privacy seals, and he was visiting Tsunade almost every night – which meant she was helping him out with his little 'project'. And then there was Neji, a branch family member branded with the caged bird seal, who was named in an agreement drawn up by Hiashi Hyūga to become the next head of the clan.

All this could only mean one thing… Hikaru was working on a way to break the caged bird seal, and Naruto **had** to be the one orchestrating it all behind the scenes. Hiashi couldn't possibly know everything that was going on because the Hyūga elders were sure to question him after he presented an agreement that theoretically couldn't happen, and they'd know right away if he was lying. But Shikamaru was sure that he knew enough, because he wouldn't have made the proposal to the elders at all unless he'd been coaxed to do so under the assumption that a solution **_might_** happen sometime in the future.

But that still didn't explain the mystery surrounding Freyja and what she was doing in Konoha in the first place. The whole thing smacked of intrigue, and hinted at a much larger secret hiding just below the surface.

_That figures, he thought to himself, With Temari gone for a few days I was hoping to relax and get some serious cloud watching in. Sometimes this job is more trouble than it's worth._

A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts, and Shikamaru told whoever it was to enter. The door swung wide and Freyja walked in with a mischievous smile plastered across her face, which was framed by the exotic braids she always wore.

"Hey there, pineapple head," she chuckled, closing the door behind her. "You look like you haven't slept in a week. Coffee too strong? Or has Temari been keeping you up late trying to knock her up?"

_Speak of the devil,_ Shikamaru thought dryly. "My name is Shikamaru, Freyja. I'd appreciate you calling me that and not 'pineapple head'. And what happens between me and Temari is private, thank you very much."

"Yikes." Freyja replied, giving him a mock flinch. "I was only kidding around, Shikamaru. Geez, can't you take a joke?"

"Not when it comes to my wife, no. If she found out that I was joking around about her – and I have no doubt she would – I'm fairly certain that she'd make my life miserable for weeks on end... not to mention the pounding I'd get."

"Okay, fine… I'm sorry I asked. Anyway, Gabriel told me to come see you once he and your wife were out of the village. There's something important I need to talk to you about."

_Shikamaru smiled inwardly. I don't think I could have planned this any better. If I play my cards right, maybe I can get some cloud watching in after all. He cocked an eyebrow and innocently asked, "Gabriel?"_

_Nice try, Shikamaru, Freyja thought to herself, but I'm not that stupid. You're the head of Konoha's spy network, and you know exactly who I'm talking about. You think that by playing dumb, you'll trick me into giving you the answers you want. Too bad you don't know that's what Gabriel sent me here to do in the first place. But two can play at that game._

"I meant your Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki. Anyway, what I have to talk with you about will probably take up the rest of the morning. You got time now, or should I come back?"

_I'll make time if this is what I think it's about._ "I've got nothing pressing at the moment," Shikamaru said casually. He gestured to another Shōgi board on the other side of the room. Unlike his custom board, which had the names of prominent political figures inscribed on the pieces, this one was far more commonplace. "Do you play?"

"I've been known to dabble on occasion." Freyja smirked, sitting down across from Shikamaru. "But before we get started, let me just put these up." And she reached into the pocket of her coat, pulling out two seals. She placed them on either side of the Shōgi board and pushed some chakra into them, sending the symbols racing along the floor, walls and ceiling. Shikamaru stared in muted fascination as the symbols overlapped each other and continued, until the entire room was covered.

"Those are the specially modified privacy seals Naruto has been using the last few weeks," Shikamaru said, narrowing his eyes accusingly at Freyja. "I'm guessing what you're about to discuss with me is somehow tied to the meetings between you, Naruto, Kakashi and Sasuke. But that still doesn't explain why you waited until my wife was out of the village to come talk to me."

Freyja grinned smugly; Shikamaru might be a genius, but when someone dangled information in front of his face his curiosity flared like a six-year old kid. The only difference was that he had the skills and the intelligence to back it up. Freyja just needed to make sure that the questions didn't get too…_personal_ in nature. Her background was still mostly off limits to anyone but Kakashi.

"Shikamaru…" she asked coyly, advancing one of her pawns, "…have you ever heard of the Mienai Segi?"

.

.

_…And while Shikamaru and Freyja were having this conversation over a 'friendly' game of Shōgi, another conversation was beginning in the office of the acting Hokage._

"There," Tsunade said, wrapping the final bandage around Kakashi's chest. "That's about as good as you're going to get right now. I fixed the scratches on your chest and healed your cracked ribs, but you'll need another round of treatment later. Try not to do… well, whatever the hell you were doing for the next week. You're going to have to come to the hospital for the dislocated hip, though."

Kakashi put his shirt back on, grunting slightly in pain as he did so. "There's no way I'm going to do that." He said, shaking his head. "Is there any way you can fix it here?"

Tsunade crossed her arms underneath her impressive chest, pressing her lips together in a thin line. "There is, but you're not going to like it. It'll hurt. A lot."

"I don't care," Kakashi stated firmly. Naruto asked him to watch over Konoha while he was gone, and with Gideon plotting his next move, he wasn't going to leave anyone in the village unprotected – especially Hikaru and Reira. "I'm staying in this office. Naruto needs me here."

Tsunade raised an inquisitive eyebrow, curious as to why the layabout former Hokage was suddenly so diligent about his job, but she decided to let it slide for now. He was going to be in serious pain in about ten seconds anyway.

"Alright. Your left hip is the one that's dislocated, so I need you to stand on your right leg and lift your left arm up over your head."

Kakashi did as he was told, steadying himself with his right hand on the desk. "There. Now, can you tell me why I'm…"

That was as far as he got. Tsunade lashed out quickly and punched him square in his left hip. The bone made a loud 'pop' as it reset back into the joint and to his credit, Kakashi's scream of pain lasted only about two seconds.

"Did you have to be so rough? That fucking hurt!"

"I told you it would." Tsunade said obviously. "Did you think I was lying? I could've given you an anesthetic at the hospital, but you said and I quote – 'I'm staying in this office. Naruto needs me here.' You were warned and chose otherwise, so suck it up and deal with it."

"You enjoyed that, didn't you?"

"I can't say that I didn't." Tsunade smirked.

"Are you always this heartless?" Kakashi asked, rubbing his hip gingerly.

"Only when people ignore my advice."

Their accusatory banter back and forth was interrupted by a firm knock at the door. "Enter," Kakashi said, and an ANBU wearing an Eagle mask walked into the office.

"Excuse me, Hokage-sama," Eagle said, bowing his head slightly, "but Darui from Kumogakure is at the front gate. He realizes his visit here is unannounced, but he said there's a matter of some urgency he needs to speak with you about."

"Have him brought here at once." Kakashi commanded. The ANBU nodded in agreement, before disappearing in in a cloud of smoke. He turned back to Tsunade and asked bluntly, "Are we done here?"

"Yeah, yeah." Tsunade replied. "Come see me tomorrow and I'll give you that other round of treatment I promised. And remember what I said – don't do anything to aggravate the injury to your ribs."

As he watched Tsunade walk out, Kakashi moved back over to sit behind the desk and wait for Darui to arrive. As he did, his thoughts meandered as he considered the possibilities of what an unannounced visit from Darui could actually mean. Whatever it was, it had to be important because the Raikage wouldn't let his right-hand man out of the village without a damn good reason…

The door opened and Darui walked in. He stopped in front of the desk and bowed slightly in respect. "Good morning, Hokage-sama. I apologize for the impromptu visit."

Kakashi eye-smiled at him. "It's not a problem, really. You actually caught me with some free time to spare. What can I do for you?"

"No offense, but I was actually hoping to talk with the current Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki." He said, his eyes wandering around the room. "Could you tell me where he is?"

"He's currently out of the village. He had to make an emergency trip to Suna to speak with the Kazekage, and he left me in charge until he returns."

Darui closed his eyes and groaned in frustration. "Could you tell me when he'll be back?"

"He should be back on Wednesday, sometime before noon." Kakashi said cautiously, wondering why it was so important for Darui to see Naruto. "Why do you need to see him, exactly?"

Darui heaved a sigh and reached into his belt pouch. "The Raikage asked me to make this a quick trip, but I guess I'm going to have to wait after all." He produced the two scrolls Perun had given them back in Kumo and held them out, with the seals facing forward so that Kakashi could see them.

"Three days ago, a man by the name of Perun showed up in Kumo wearing one of the most ridiculous outfits I've ever seen. He said that his master died the day before, however before he did he tasked him with two items – the first was to make Kumo his home and join our shinobi force." Darui snorted, remembering the events of that day. "The Raikage was more than impressed with his skills, as was I. After destroying one of the walls of his office, the Raikage relented and agreed to his terms."

Kakashi felt his stomach drop. Even if the oddly foreign name 'Perun' hadn't given him away, the fact that he said his master died recently certainly would have.

"The second item was that these two scrolls were to be delivered to 'the man who holds the fox.' Apparently, the seals are coded so that only he can open them. If anyone else tries, they'll explode – I was told that the blast radius would be quite large and for once, the Raikage decided not to test his luck."

Kakashi reached forward hesitantly and took the scrolls, bringing them close so he could examine the seals. "What's in them?" he asked, as his curiosity rose just a bit.

Darui shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. "I have no idea, and neither did Perun. However, when Raikage-sama asked him about his master, the scrolls or how he came to possess Kage-level skills, Perun said that he'd be more than happy to tell us everything… as long as Naruto Uzumaki gave his permission to do so."

After another long pause of silence, Kakashi gingerly placed the scrolls on the desk. "I apologize Darui, but you'll just have to wait. The meeting he's having with the Kazekage is important enough that he won't leave early, unless it's an extreme emergency – and even taking the Raikage's impatient nature into account, I don't believe this situation constitutes an emergency. The best I can offer is accommodations until Naruto returns to the village, at which point he'll open the scrolls and if he decides to, he'll provide you with a letter that you can give to both the Raikage and Perun."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama," Darui replied. "If you don't mind, I'd like to go there now please. I got here as quick as I could, and a hot shower, along with a soft bed would be very welcome right now."

"Of course." Kakashi snapped his fingers and in a cloud of smoke, Eagle reappeared in the office.

"Yes, Hokage-sama?"

"Please take Darui to _The Silken Robe_ and rent him a room there. Inform the front desk that this office will be reimbursing them for the cost, and that they should send the bill here. When he arrives back in the village, I will inform Naruto that Darui is here, and the purpose of his visit." Kakashi stared impassively at Darui and finished, "The Hokage will send for you once he's had a chance to look at the contents of the scrolls."

Eagle followed Darui as he left the office, closing the door behind them. As soon as he did, Kakashi pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed in exasperation.

"_One day_… I gave up being Hokage so that I wouldn't have to deal with things like this anymore. Naruto hasn't even been gone _one day_ and something like this gets dropped in my lap." He slumped in his chair, deciding he needed a bit of mental relaxation and reached into the pouch tied to his belt…

…and then began to panic when his hand encountered nothing but empty space.

"Hey… Where the hell is my Icha Icha novel?!"

* * *

_…And while Darui was having a conversation with Kakashi about the scrolls and Perun showing up in Kumo, a third conversation was beginning in a cave at the base of the mountains between Iwagakure and Amegakure._

_(That's a lot of conversations happening at the same time, isn't it?)_

With more than a slight bit of apprehension, Gilgamesh limped down the tunnel towards the alcove where he could sense Gideon waiting for him. The morning was bright, the sun's rays were warming and the tunnel was lined with torches, but none of that did anything to dispel the chill permeating the air.

And Gilgamesh knew that once he gave his report, that chill would seep down into the very core of his bones. He knew that there was no way of escaping this meeting unscathed - Gideon was sure to become enraged over what happened; more than likely adding to his already extensive list of injuries. If he left the meeting standing up and not crawling on the ground, he'd consider it an unbelievable stroke of luck.

As he rounded the last corner, Gideon came into view, sitting behind his desk with his hands steepled in front of him, glaring at Gilgamesh over the tops of his fingers.

"Welcome back." Gideon said, his voice as frosty as the air surrounding them. "Have a seat," he commanded, gesturing to the chair in front of him.

Gilgamesh slowly made his way over to the chair and sat down, staring impassively back at his leader. His left arm hung limply at his side and a large gash ran from his left ear down his cheek, stopping at the base of his neck.

"I take it from your condition that things did not go well."

Gilgamesh shook his head. "No." he said flatly.

Gideon nodded his head towards the injured arm. "What are the extent of your injuries?"

"Broken scapula." Gilgamesh said, pointing at various parts of his body with his right hand. "Dislocated clavicle. Broken ribs. Fractured tibia."

"And the cut on your face?"

"His first attack."

Gideon raised his eyebrows inquisitively. "He didn't collapse the mountain on everyone, as I surmised?"

"No. Blew it up. From underneath us."

"A miscalculation on my part, it appears." Gideon said disapprovingly, pressing his lips into a thin line. "What is the condition of the rest of your associates?"

"All dead. Except for Naberius."

Gideon frowned at the response. "And where is Naberius now?"

"Coma." Gilgamesh stated, his voice still devoid of emotion. He jerked his head towards the east wall. "Nearest town. Getting treatment."

"It seems that Saladin was far stronger than I surmised. It's a shame, really – some of those who decided to follow me have perished due to overconfidence on my part." He scoffed, dismissing the thought and the blame that lied behind it. "It's of little consequence, however. We can train new recruits to replace them by using the scrolls from Saladin's compendium of knowledge."

Gilgamesh swallowed heavily, but otherwise became very still.

"Where are the scrolls, Gilgamesh?" Gideon asked pointedly, his voice dangerously low and menacing.

"Gone." He answered after a short pause.

Immediately, the chakra pressure in the cave skyrocketed, causing the walls and floor to fracture in several places and Gilgamesh clutched his chest, suddenly finding it very hard to breathe. Then a wave of killing intent hit him, one so strong that even **he** flinched away from it.

And in that brief moment Gilgamesh let his guard down, Gideon saw an opening and pounced, like a hungry tiger on a weak and defenseless antelope. In the blink of an eye he launched himself over the desk and wrapped his hand around Gilgamesh's throat, slamming him into the floor and pinning him there.

Gilgamesh only had one good arm, and he tried using it to pry at the hand slowly constricting his throat but Gideon's grip was like iron. Gilgamesh was basically brute force made real – his strength and size, along with his deadly earth jutsu made even the highest members of the Mienai Segi skittish, and the lower level members had been petrified of him. He was good at his job. He killed without remorse, ruthless and deadly in his precision. Gilgamesh had very little to be afraid of in this world.

But at times like these, Gilgamesh was reminded that Gideon was one of those things.

Somehow, through the course of his training and travels Gideon developed a technique whereby he could use his chakra to augment the density of his skin, making it impervious to all but the strongest attacks. It also multiplied his strength exponentially so that it rivaled even Gilgamesh's own. That, coupled with both wind and fire affinities, and a psyche that tilted on the cusp of insanity made Gideon someone to be feared and reckoned with.

_"WHERE ARE MY SCROLLS, GILGAMESH?!"_

Gideon's face was mere inches from Gilgamesh's own; his eyes ablaze with anger and madness. Spittle gathered at the edges of his mouth and pieces of it flew at the behemoth of a man, as Gideon spat the enraged words at him.

Due to the damage to his larynx all those years ago, talking was an effort for Gilgamesh, even under normal circumstances. He couldn't answer without drawing a breath, and with Gideon squeezing his throat, right now it was pretty much impossible. He opened his mouth, desperately trying to say something but no words came out. His efforts to remove Gideon's hand from around his throat became weaker and weaker, and darkness began to cloud the edges of his vision as consciousness started to slip away.

Gideon must have noticed this because his eyes suddenly became much sharper and focused, and he loosened his grip on Gilgamesh's throat – but did not release him – in an effort to give his subordinate a chance to give him an answer.

"Where are my scrolls?" Gideon asked again in a much calmer tone of voice, but one that was still dangerously low.

Gasping, Gilgamesh drew in a shaky breath and answered back, "They were gone."

Gideon narrowed his eyes skeptically. "Before you arrived there? Or after?"

"Be…Before."

"How long before? Did Saladin say where he sent them?"

"He said…weeks. Didn't say where. Died first."

Gideon's eyes traveled over Gilgamesh's face, looking for any traces of deceit but despite his careful scrutiny he found none. Satisfied, but no less angry he released Gilgamesh and stood up, walking around his desk and sitting back down.

Gilgamesh remained on the floor for another minute, massaging his throat with his one good hand and taking in several more shaky breaths to get his lightheadedness under control. He sat up, and saw that Gideon had returned to his place behind the desk, with his hands steepled in front of his face as he glared at him over the tops of his fingers.

"What…What now?" Gilgamesh asked tentatively.

"With our ranks decimated, and our ability to train replacements impaired, we have no time to waste. Gabriel and Freyja undoubtedly felt the same pain that we did the night Saladin died and know for a fact that he's dead. From the message we intercepted several months ago, they know I'm the one responsible for it, whether directly or indirectly and if I know Gabriel and his bleeding heart mentality, he'll be alerting the other Kage to our potential threat as soon as possible."

"Rather than an outright assault, we will take our next prize by stealth, in the dead of the night. Tomorrow, you will return to the village where you left Naberius and receive treatment for your injuries, while Nyx and I leave for Iwagakure."

"Why Iwa?" Gilgamesh asked hoarsely.

"Because the Tsuchikage is old and frail, yet still refuses to relinquish his leadership role because there is no one else in the village that can come close to the skills he possesses – not even now, in his dotage." Gideon said matter-of-factly, as if explaining it to a child. "I will have Nyx warp his mind, making him nothing more than a mindless puppet that we can manipulate, pulling the strings behind the scenes. He will remain the face of the village, camouflaging our true purpose while we control things from the shadows. At the current time, the less we make our presence known the better."

"Once Nyx and I are satisfied that we can manipulate the Tsuchikage to our liking, I will send for both you and Naberius and you will assist me in controlling the village. Anyone who gets in our way will be eliminated, swiftly and with extreme prejudice – it is imperative that we make an example of those who do, to quell any thoughts of rebellion or dissent. We will have the Tsuchikage name me as his successor at a later date, when secrecy is no longer an option or it would be beneficial to us. At that point, his usefulness will have ended and we can kill him without incident. His advanced age will deflect any suspicion that might be leveled at us."

Gilgamesh nodded in agreement. "And then?"

"Once we have taken our prize…we will build our army." Gideon said darkly, his voice laced with vitriol and hatred. A flash of the madness from before appeared in his eyes and as he predicted earlier, the chill Gilgamesh felt in the air seeped down to the very core of his bones as he stared with no small amount of trepidation back at his leader.

"When Gabriel came to the Mienai Segi, Saladin favored him, pushing me aside and forgoing my destiny to lead our brethren when he passed to the next life. For that reason, along with Freyja's betrayal of my trust, Konoha and its people will be made the first to suffer. We will kill every living thing, sparing nothing and no one. Men, women, children… they will all fall under the scythe of my wrath. And when that is done, we will make an example of Konoha and raze it to the ground, and then salt the earth afterwards so that nothing will ever grow there again."

* * *

On Wednesday at noon Naruto, clad in golden flames along with Temari appeared at the front gates of Konoha in a flash of yellow light. As Kotetsu and Izumo had come to expect since Naruto became Hokage, they knew he was using the power of the Kyuubi to transport them back from Suna using the Hiraishin no Jutsu.

"Welcome back to Konoha, Hokage-sama." Kotetsu said respectfully as Naruto powered down. "How was your trip?"

"Good. Things went well." He replied, although on the inside he was still feeling a bit sad. It panged him to leave two of his childhood friends behind in Suna, but it had been their decision, and he needed to respect that. "The Kazekage's daughter is beautiful. Luckily enough she seems to have taken after her mother. No offense, Temari." He said sheepishly.

Temari scoffed at his apology. "None taken. Matsuri certainly has a lot more going on in the looks department than my brother does. Kid's gonna have a lot of boys chasing after her when she grows up. Kami help anyone who's brave enough to ask her out on a date. Gaara will probably scare them so bad they'll wet their pants and never come back."

Naruto chuckled at the thought. If there was anyone who could play the role of scary, overprotective father it was Gaara. "I imagine you'll be heading home. Do you need any help getting there?" he asked, somewhat jokingly.

Temari frowned and placed her hands on her hips. "Do you need a punch in the face?" she snapped at him.

Naruto raised his eyebrows, slightly taken aback at her tone. Realizing what she'd done, Temari sighed and rubbed her eyes wearily.

"Sorry about that. I haven't been sleeping well the last couple of days. Even though Shikamaru and I have been trying over the last month and basically preparing for this, it's still a lot to take in."

"Agreed – and I fully understand, Temari." Naruto said sympathetically. "When I get to the Hokage Tower, I'll send Shikamaru home early today so you can give him the good news as soon as possible. And Temari? Even though I have a tremendous amount of respect for what you're going through, and I know your hormones will make things hard, please just… try to keep your temper under control." He grinned impishly and asked, "You don't want to turn into a carbon copy of Sakura when she was pregnant, do you?"

The frown on Temari's face was quickly replaced by a full-blown scowl. "Okay, that's it! **_Now_** I'm punching you in the face!"

Naruto watched calmly as she launched her fist flew towards his nose. When it was about six inches away he smirked, and… disappeared. Temari stumbled forward as she encountered nothing but air.

"If you're really serious about hitting me, you'll have to be faster than that."

Kotetsu, Izumo and Temari looked behind them and saw Naruto standing there with his hands crossed in front of his chest.

"I think you've been slacking off with your training lately and getting a bit soft, Temari. Too bad you won't be able to do anything about it for the next eight months or so." He said mockingly, his sapphire blue eyes twinkling. "I'm off to work. See ya!" And with a wave of his hand, he vanished in a flash of yellow light.

Temari ground her teeth in frustration as she stared at the empty spot where Naruto had been standing only moments before. "Oh, you just wait Naruto Uzumaki. Once I have this baby, I'm going to train my petite ass off and next time, you won't be able to avoid my fist **_or_** my fan when I knock that stupid smirk off your face!" She glared at Kotetsu and Izumo, who were eyeing her warily. "What are you two looking at?"

They vigorously shook their heads. "Nothing, Temari-san." Izumo answered innocently. "Nothing at all."

* * *

Naruto appeared suddenly in front of Mina's desk, causing her to jump slightly and scatter some papers onto the floor.

"I'm sorry about that Mina," Naruto said apologetically as he helped her pick up the papers, "I didn't mean to startle you like that. I just wanted to let you know that I'm back before I went into my office."

"That's quite all right, Hokage-sama," she said, tapping the stack of papers on her desk to align them perfectly. "I was just working on a revision of the academy curriculum that Iruka presented to you last week."

Naruto groaned inwardly, dreading spending another minute on such a boring yet important subject. "Is Kakashi in my office?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama. He's been very diligent in watching the village while you were gone and left the office very rarely, if at all." Mina pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose, and then tilted her head to the side in confusion. "He said not only were you counting on him to protect those precious to both you and him, he also just finished healing his body and had no desire to give the person responsible a chance to repeat the injuries – at least until the end of the week. Whatever that means."

A ghost of a smile played across his lips. Apparently, Freyja's persistent nature extended to more than just fighting. "Thanks. I'll be in my office if you need me."

As soon as Naruto opened the door to his office, Kakashi spotted him and slumped in his chair, letting out a sigh of relief.

"Happy to see you too, Kakashi-sensei. Care to tell me why you look like that? What happened while I was gone?"

"Not much. I handled most of it, but there's something that requires your specific attention." He pulled the two scrolls out of the desk and showed them to Naruto. "Darui showed up here on Monday, about two or so hours after you left. He said that someone named Perun arrived in Kumo three days before, and informed them that his master died recently. Before he did however, he instructed him to do two things – one, make Kumo his home and join their shinobi force, which apparently the Raikage relented and agreed to only after Perun put on a show and destroyed a good portion of his office and two, that these two scrolls were to be delivered to you personally. I've been told that the seals will only allow you to open them and if anyone else tries, they'll explode… rather violently."

Naruto was surprised, yet happy to hear that another one of his Mienai Segi brethren decided to stand against Gideon and his followers, although at the same time he wondered who else had decided to join Gideon. Freyja was right when she hinted that Gilgamesh being Gideon's lap dog was a distinct and very real possibility.

He also realized what Kakashi already knew – that these scrolls were the final message from his master, Saladin. His hands shook a bit as he hesitantly forward and took the scrolls. "Did…Did Perun say what's in them?" he asked, scrutinizing them closely. The only difference he noted was that the kanji symbol for strength was inscribed on one, while the symbol for discipline was inscribed on the other.

Kakashi shook his head. "Darui said he didn't know, but it sounds like the Raikage is very eager to know about Perun and where he came from. Perun said he'd be more than happy to give him all the information he wants – as long as you give him permission to do so. Until then, he'll have to live with an unsatisfied curiosity."

"Knowing the Raikage, that's probably killing him." Naruto studied the scrolls a moment longer, then strode forward purposefully and pressed a button on his desk. Within seconds, an ANBU appeared in a cloud of smoke.

"Welcome back to the village, Hokage-sama. What can I assist you with?"

"Have Freyja and Sasuke brought to my office as soon as possible," he said commandingly. "If they ask, tell them it has to deal with the incident that happened late last Friday night."

* * *

It wasn't long before Sasuke walked into Naruto's office. "Dobe…" he said, clearly agitated although his face bore the same impassive look he always wore, "…what's going on? You're not even back in the village for one hour and already causing me trouble."

"As fun as that sounds, I was hoping to avoid anything stressful for at least the next few days but that's not gonna happen." Naruto replied blandly, holding up the two scrolls. "I'm guessing you'll want to know about these, since it probably concerns the safety of the village."

"And what are those?"

"Scrolls – apparently from Saladin."

"What's in them?"

"I have no idea. I just found out about them. Darui brought them here while I was in Suna, and I'm the only one who can open them. If anyone else tries, they'll explode. We'll find out what's in them as soon as…"

Freyja barged into the room; a sultry smile on her face and her eyes smouldering with what everyone could only assume was unbridled lust. "Glad to see you back, Gabriel. Now that you're here, Kakashi doesn't have to be acting Hokage anymore, right? There's an empty room down the hall – I don't know if it's soundproof or not, but…"

"Freyja, can you stop thinking about screwing Kakashi until you break him in half and focus for a minute?" Naruto interrupted sharply, raising his chakra pressure just enough to get her attention.

It did the trick. Freyja snapped out of her sexually induced stupor and halted in her tracks. "Sorry Gabriel," she said, looking suitably chastised, "it's just that… Kakashi and I haven't had much 'us' time since you took off for Suna, and well… I'm all kinds of horny…"

"Freyja! Too much information!" Naruto snapped.

"Okay, okay…it's just that he's really…"

"Freyja!"

"Alright!" she shouted irritably, "I get the point! Why'd you need to see me anyway?"

Naruto blinked owlishly at her. "Didn't the ANBU I sent to get you tell you why?"

"Umm, not really…but that's actually my fault." She said, embarrassed. "When he told me you were back in the village, I took off before he could tell me the rest. I just told you the reason why. What's going on?"

Naruto sighed in exasperation, and then held up the scrolls for her to see. "Perun showed up in Kumogakure last week. He said Saladin gave him these, along with specific instructions to deliver them to me personally because they're coded to my chakra, or something like that. I guess if anyone else tries to open them, they'll explode. That's far more security than I've ever seen him use, so whatever's in here has to be the most important thing he's ever sent to anyone."

Freyja closed the door behind her and sat down, her mood suddenly sober. "Now you've got my full attention. Let's open the damn things up and see what our master had to say."

Naruto nodded in agreement, and then placed his hands on the seals on either side of his desk, pushing some chakra into them. While he'd been carrying around paper seals for the past few weeks, he decided to have Hikaru install something much more permanent in his office. They all watched as the seals spread, covering the walls, floor and ceiling.

"Which one should I open first?" he asked while holding the scrolls, one in each hand.

"During our training sessions, Saladin always stressed discipline before strength," Sasuke offered. "Why not start with that one?"

"As good a place as any, I suppose." He placed his thumb underneath the edge of the scroll and slid it up, pausing briefly before he broke the seal. He let out a breath he didn't even know he'd been holding, and then slowly unrolled it.

"It looks like my hunch was right. It's his final words," He said sadly.

*:*:*:*

_Gabriel,_

_Today I have felt an omen. An omen of my approaching death. Although, at the time you are reading this you may already be aware of this fact and if so, please understand that even with the knowledge of what was to come, I chose to face this threat willingly, rather than involve the innocent in this conflict._

_However, with an unknown amount of time before I meet my fate and no one else I believe I can trust, I have decided to give you my epitaph._

_It seems like an eternity ago when I met the love of my life, but the memories remain as fresh as the day I first saw her. The emotions I felt for her were so strong, it hurt to breathe and as our eyes met, I knew at once that I had found my soul mate. After a short courtship, we were married in a simple ceremony, after which I performed the bonding ritual linking our souls with the amalgamation seal. It may sound a bit egotistical and selfish but from the very beginning, I couldn't imagine anyone being as happy, or in love as the two of us were._

_But the love and happiness that we found in each other was taken away just as quickly – by Hidan of the Akatsuki. One day, as he strode through our tiny village, he decided to slaughter everyone on a whim… simply to satisfy his boredom and bloodlust. At the time it happened I was away on a mission for my village, but I knew through the seal placed on our hands that she was dead. Without a second thought I, along with the rest of my team abandoned our mission and returned, but we were far too late. Bodies were strewn across the streets and in open doorways, all of them cold and lifeless, lying in a pool of their own blood. My wife was among them, her eyes frozen in surprise and shock – as if she couldn't believe someone like her, without an ounce of hatred or malice in her heart for anyone or anything could be murdered so callously, for no reason other than sport._

_That singular act broke me. I dedicated my life to helping those who couldn't help themselves – to ensure that no one would have to experience the pain and emptiness that I felt. I wanted to make a difference in the world, and the rest of my squad who survived the slaughter decided to join me._

_In order to assure that none of us became drunk with power, we trained in earnest to grow stronger, but not enough to become a major threat like the Akatsuki. I began to amass as much knowledge as I could, because power without knowledge can lead to psychosomatic narcissism; a god complex without restraint._

_And thus the Mienai Segi was born. But as it always does, I realized far too late that the only way to counter those with power, is with a power equal to their own._

_When the fourth shinobi war started, it was my decision not to involve the Mienai Segi, because I believed that at over eighty thousand strong, the Allied Shinobi Force would be more than enough to defeat the threat of the Akatsuki and what I later learned to be Madara Uchiha. I assumed our skills would not be needed, and that we would be nothing more than a hindrance._

_I was wrong beyond measure, and thousands of shinobi needlessly died because of my incorrect assumption. Every day since then, I have pondered how many lives could have been saved had we interceded. Even though I never saw them firsthand, the faces of those who fell have haunted me incessantly, reminding me of my failure to act._

_It was those faces that drove me in search of more power and the knowledge to accomplish it. Those of us in the Mienai Segi trained harder to achieve this. Some of us survived; most of us did not. Those who did became stronger; in some cases stronger than the five Kage of the elemental nations. However, with only a handful remaining I realized that additional assistance would be required to achieve our redefined goals._

_It was my hubris that allowed me to bring others into the Mienai Segi, foolishly thinking that with the proper instruction, they would remain pure, using their power for virtue and honor, rather than immorality and destruction. They trained as my friends and I had done before, with the same results - some of them survived, most of them did not. Less than a handful acquired power to rival that of the Kage. And now, it is that same hubris that will bring about my end._

_While I am unsure as to who will be the one to bring about my ultimate demise, I know in my heart that this aspect of my fate cannot be avoided, just as I have always known that destiny has, and always will have a hand in your life, Naruto Uzumaki._

_Yes, since the day you first came to the Mienai Segi, I've known who you were. I know of your exploits throughout the elemental nations. I know of how, through your words and actions, you led the coalition to victory in the fourth shinobi war – with some help from your friends, of course. And I know that you carry the nine-tailed fox inside of you._

_I have kept this knowledge secret from the rest of your brethren, as it seemed that you wished to remain anonymous… just another lost soul in search of something they were unable to find or attain. You may think that an end to your life was among the paths you could choose from, but I believe otherwise. Just as your battle with Pain and your exploits during the fourth shinobi war have shown, there is a far greater purpose in store for you._

_You are the child of prophecy and once again, you are called upon to be the savior of the world. It is beholden upon you to do what I did not do all those years ago, and what I cannot do now, since I will not survive the upcoming battle… save thousands of innocent lives._

_Being the one to carry these burdens may seem unfair… and you would be correct, but understand that it did not come without reward. When given the chance to brighten and encourage growth in your own personal life, you purposely ignored what fate had provided for you and pursued someone who brought you nothing but pain, rather than the happiness you so eagerly sought. You unknowingly put yourself into a situation that caused your own emotional devastation, giving someone the opportunity to break you, until nothing but an empty shell of a man remained._

_Now, fate has smiled upon you a second time and brought your soul mate, along with the son she sacrificed everything to care for back into your life. I have only seen them through the memories in your mind, yet I know they are the key to your emotional healing. They can mend the rift in your heart, if you give them the time and opportunity to do so. To me, this is as immutable as time itself._

_You should know that you have always held a special place with me, Naruto Uzumaki. Despite your past, I know that you are pure of heart and purpose. You have done so much for others, and changed so many lives through simply being who you are that I have pondered on many occasions if I ever had a son, I would have wanted him to be just like you._

_As of now, the Mienai Segi is no more. Please pass my story on to the Kage of the five great villages – and let them know how sorry I am. It seems that as it was with Obito Uchiha, good intentions went awry and I inadvertently created another threat similar to the Akatsuki. It pains me to see that I am following in the footsteps of many in my generation, and leaving my problems to the current generation for them to deal with and solve._

_As my final act, I charge you with finding any of our brethren that have survived what I can only term as a massacre by this unknown source, and bring them back to Konoha. I wish anyone who so desires to live the remainder of their lives in normalcy. Be the herald, Gabriel – and call them home. Be the shepherd, Naruto Uzumaki – and protect our flock._

_I rest in the knowledge that when I leave this world, I will give my last breath to take those responsible with me. And my heart is filled with joy that when I do leave this world, my beloved wife will be waiting for me, and we will finally be reunited after all this time. You know to what I am referring Naruto Uzumaki, when I say that to live so long without part of your soul is an empty existence indeed. I can only hope that my trials, along with the good I have done since the day she was taken from me have made her proud – as I beg for her forgiveness in not being there to protect her when she needed it the most._

_Saladin_

*:*:*:*

Silence hung heavy in the room as Naruto rolled the scroll back up and placed it on the desk. All he could think about was that he'd lost another master – someone who looked upon him as a son, just like Jiraiya and it left a bad taste in his mouth and a pit in his stomach that Saladin had joined an ever growing list of people in his life that were taken from him, without him being able to lift a finger to prevent it.

Sasuke pondered the fact that even in the depths of his pain and in search of his own death, Naruto somehow managed to inspire more instances of loyalty and friendship with those around him. It was a skill that in recent months, he found himself wanting badly. The more time he spent around his brother, and as head of the ANBU in protection of the villagers, the more he wanted to create those same bonds of friendship with those around him and yet, it still seemed just beyond his reach.

Freyja mourned for the loss of her master, but felt a small sense of gratification that she was well on her way to accomplishing his final wish for both her and Reira, which was to live a normal life. Hearing how Saladin viewed Gabriel as the son he never had now made her think of him as something more akin to a younger brother, rather than just an associate. _But only a few years younger,_ she reminded herself. _There's no fucking way I'm that old yet._

Kakashi didn't say a word a word as he digested the final words of a man who, through personal suffering and a hollow existence tried to eliminate some of the greater evils that plagued the world and yet, managed to create one greater than any he had snuffed out. He thought of Saladin's words regarding his childhood friend Obito, who had gone down a similar misguided path and ended up exactly the same way, leaving Naruto and the rest of Team Seven to fix the problems he himself had created.

"It doesn't make any sense," Sasuke said at last.

"What doesn't make any sense, teme?" Naruto asked curtly.

"There's two parts in that message that don't make any sense, dobe. The first is that Saladin said in two separate instances he didn't know who or what was coming for him, but you sent Saladin a message warning him about Gideon, correct?"

Naruto raised his head as the realization hit him. "Yeah…I did."

"And the other item was that he wanted you to find others of the Mienai Segi who hadn't joined Gideon and bring them to Konoha. Freyja told you to tell Saladin she was here in Konoha – did you forget to mention that?"

Naruto shook his head. "No, I didn't. I specifically remember telling him about that in detail." He furrowed his brow in confusion. "You're right. Something doesn't add up. Is the ANBU codenamed Jackal currently in the village?"

"Yes, why?"

"He's the one I sent on that mission to deliver the message to Saladin." Naruto explained, lowering the privacy seals and pressing a button on his desk. Within moments, an ANBU wearing a Tiger mask was standing in the center of his office.

"Yes, Hokage-sama?"

"Have Jackal brought to my office as soon as possible. It's urgent."

Tiger nodded and disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"Now, while we're waiting for him to get here…" Naruto said curiously, "…why don't we see what's in the second scroll?" He broke the seal and unrolled it across the top of his desk. His brows knit as he saw what it was.

"It's a storage scroll – a rather large one." He placed his hand in the center and pushed some chakra into it. For a brief moment, the seals began to glow blue, and then several piles of storage scrolls appeared.

Kakashi cocked an eyebrow. "He used a storage scroll to store more storage scrolls? That's actually rather simple and ingenious. It makes me wonder why no one thought of it before now."

"He was our leader for a good reason, Kakashi." Freyja said brusquely. "He was pretty damn smart in addition to being powerful. Shikamaru is the only person I've met that has him beat in that area, and that guy Shino might be at his level. Gideon thought he was, but he was more conniving than anything else – and that doesn't necessarily translate to intelligence."

"And it still doesn't answer our question as to what's in these things." Naruto picked up one of the scrolls and with no more space left on his desk, he unrolled it on the floor and placed his hand in the center, pushing some chakra into it.

Another pile of items appeared – books and scrolls of all sizes, along with several stacks of paper containing handwritten notes and theories. Some of them were yellow and slightly brittle with age, while others appeared to be more recent, tied with ribbons that had intricate designs woven into them. Naruto immediately recognized them for what they were.

"These…These are from Saladin's private library." He said in awe. He quickly picked up another scroll and unrolled it, causing more documents to appear.

Sasuke activated his Sharingan. "Not counting the first scroll, there appears to be seventy storage scrolls that hold various amounts. As an estimate, I'd say there are almost five thousand items in all. Does that account for everything?"

"I…I think so. I mean, he had a lot of stuff sitting on those shelves, and…"

Naruto was interrupted as Tiger and Jackal appeared in his office. "Here is Jackal as you requested, Hokage-sama." Tiger said.

"Yes Jackal," Naruto said, fixing him with a piercing stare, "a few months ago I gave you a mission to deliver to a message to an associate of mine. You told me you completed the mission, correct?"

Jackal nodded his head. "Yes, Hokage-sama. I delivered the message, he gave me his reply and I returned to the village immediately, as you ordered."

"What was the message he gave you?"

Jackal paused, like he was carefully thinking of how to phrase his reply. "He simply thanked me, and then said 'please tell your Hokage that if the need arises, I will contact him.' That's it."

Naruto pressed his lips into a thin line and glanced sideways at Kakashi. "I never said in the message that you made me Hokage." His eyes flicked back to the two ANBU kneeling before him. "Tiger, take Jackal over to I.D. and then find Inoichi – Jackal's mind has been tampered with and I need to know what was altered, who did it and why."

"Inoichi is currently unavailable, Hokage-sama," Tiger informed Naruto, as he grasped Jackal's arm. "He's working with Ibiki Morino on another… ah, project involving several captured rogue ninja from Takigakure."

"Then find Ino instead. She's almost as good as her father, in my opinion. After that, tell Shino I need to see him and at 2 o'clock have Darui brought to my office, please."

Tiger nodded, and then he and Jackal disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"Why Shino?" Sasuke asked once the two ANBU were gone.

"Freyja made a good point when she said Shino was pretty damn smart." Naruto replied as he resealed the items into the storage scrolls and rolled them back up. "Shikamaru has too many other things to worry about…" He privately thought of Temari being pregnant, and that he had promised to send Shikamaru home as soon as he made it to the Hokage tower. "…so I'll have Shino go through and catalog everything that's in these scrolls. It'll take some time, but I know he'll do a good job and he's someone we all thoroughly trust."

"So what do we do now?"

Naruto paused for a moment, and then locked eyes with his brother. "We train," he said grimly. "It stays confined to the people in this room, but we train until our lungs bleed. And then we train some more." He jerked his chin in the direction of Kakashi. "Can you take him out to the ANBU training grounds and start teaching him how to do chakra interlacing?"

"Wait just a minute," Kakashi said, holding up his hand. "You're going awfully fast with all of this, and I have a few questions. Why keep this confined to the people in this room? With the threat we know is coming, wouldn't it be better to train some additional people as well?"

"And why are you having Sasuke train him instead of me?" Freyja demanded.

"Well, the first two answers are easy, Kakashi-sensei. For the training we've gone through – and what you'll be doing – a person needs Kage level chakra reserves. Other than everyone in this room, can you give me the name of someone besides Tsunade that meets that one simple requirement?"

Kakashi mulled that over, before shaking his head. "No, actually I can't."

"As far as your second question, you heard what Saladin just said in his final message. He brought too many people into the Mienai Segi, thinking that when they completed the training, their moral compass would kick in and they'd use their strength to help people. That obviously didn't work out the way he'd hoped." Naruto narrowed his eyes at Kakashi. "Whose life are you willing to bet that won't happen again? Yours? Freyja's?" His voice dropped several octaves as he finished, "Reira's?"

Kakashi glared back at Naruto, pissed off that not only would he say something so crass, but that he failed to think of that distinct possibility. "Fine. You made your point."

"And as for you…" Naruto said, giving Freyja a sidelong glance, "Sasuke is teaching Kakashi how to do chakra interlacing because if I let you do it, you'll be tempted to jump his bones every thirty minutes or so. I want him focused on training, and not Icha Icha re-enactment sex with you."

Freyja growled, clearly unhappy with the answer. "Spoilsport. Sex is a good motivator, you know. Why can't he focus on both?"

Naruto sighed in exasperation. "Because he can't – men aren't built that way. There isn't enough blood in the body to have both your head **and** groin operating at full capacity at the same time. And besides, I need to have a conversation with you," Naruto deadpanned, his expression serious. "One on one, in private."

"I think that's our cue to leave, Kakashi-sensei." Sasuke stated drolly, the corners of his mouth turning up in a small smirk before he looked back at Naruto. "We should meet back here at five o'clock, when Ino finds out what happened to Jackal."

"Good idea. See you then."

Sasuke turned back to Kakashi. "We've only got about four hours, so let's make them count. We'll use the ANBU training grounds. Use the shunshin and I'll meet you there."

Kakashi nodded, and they both made a sign with their hands, disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

Freyja watched them go then glared at Naruto. "Well, now that you've deprived me of my afternoon meal, what was so important that you needed to talk with me privately?"

"Look, you and I knew Saladin better than anyone else in this village." Naruto said curtly. "We both had a lot of respect for the man, and I think we'd both like to honor his final wish, which is for everyone to live a normal life."

"Yeah, I was thinking along those same lines," Freyja replied, "but I'm pretty much doing that already. What else is there?"

"Just one thing. No more code names. No more aliases. From now on, I want you to call me by my real name. And I think everyone should do the same for you."

Freyja's voice went up several octaves. "You…You want me to tell you – tell **_everyone_** what my real name is?" she exclaimed, her eyes wide with shock. "That's private! Why the fuck should I tell anyone, let alone **_you_** something like that?"

Naruto pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "You want a list? Fine." he said gruffly. "Ever since you came to **_my_** village, you and Reira have lived at **_my_** house. You both sleep in one of **_my_** bedrooms. Hinata, **_my_** wife cooks delicious meals for you every night. You and your daughter are under **_my_** protection – the shinobi under **_my_** command will give their last breath to keep you both safe. You're currently dating and screwing the brains out of **_my_** former sensei. And let's not forget that your six year old daughter is infatuated with **_my son,_** and plans on marrying him when they're older. I can keep going if you like, but that should be more than enough."

It galled Freyja to admit it – hell, even just thinking about it pissed her off, but he had a point. She'd gotten far more than she ever thought possible since coming to Konoha. Her life was about as normal as it gets – she finally had a man in her life that treated her with kindness and respect… never mind the fact that he was damn good in the sack.

Reira smiled more, and was generally far happier than she'd ever been. And for a kid who was more optimistic than anyone Freyja had ever met, that was saying something – although she still wondered where the hell Reira got that particular trait from. Freyja knew that her personality was skewed when compared to her daughter.

But even knowing all that, she was having a hard time convincing herself that she should give up the one piece of her life that was still exclusively hers – that being her **real** identity. Stripping away the last barrier between her former life and her current one meant she didn't have a failsafe left if things started to go badly. Not that she thought they would – but committing herself totally to one idea, after everything she'd been through in her life, was just such a foreign concept that she couldn't bring herself to do it, no matter how wonderful or tempting the situation was.

Naruto watched her for a minute, and saw how she was struggling to come to terms with his request. He imagined the look of uncertainty and indecisiveness on her face was just like what other people saw when he was younger and they asked him about Kurama. It may seem small, but all you can think about is how big an effect it can have on your life, and how other people view you. So he thought it might be best to give her some time, and let her know this request wasn't an ultimatum.

"Listen Freyja, why don't you think about it for a little while? I don't need an answer on this right now, but in the meantime I'm going to lead by example. You need to start calling me Naruto – no more calling me Gabriel. And just so you know, I'll be giving Darui a note, telling Perun the same thing I've told you, and giving him permission to spill anything about the Mienai Segi to the Raikage – within reason, or course. It's one less trip I have to make, so that I only have to worry about Kirigakure and Iwagakure. "

He snapped his fingers as he remembered something. "Oh, and do me one more favor - on your way out, head down the hall and tell Shikamaru that he needs to go home as soon as possible. Make sure he knows it's nothing urgent, but certainly important. After that, why don't you take the rest of the afternoon off until five o'clock when everyone gets back here? You've got a lot to think about between now and then, and I want to make sure there's nothing that will influence your decision."

* * *

It was one-thirty in the afternoon at the academy, and Hikaru was bored. Scratch that – he was **_beyond_** bored, as well as frustrated and exhausted, and the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel that was his salvation was nothing more than a dot against a canvas of pure black.

The subject matter of the class in which is mother was teaching was something he knew already, and he was having a hard time staying awake. Not necessarily because his mother's voice was drab and boring; far from it – she was actually a very dynamic and engaging teacher, but it bothered him that he was so much farther in front of the other students that he had to suffer through this stuff. He'd rather be out at his father's favorite haunt, which was training ground twenty-six, sparring with him or uncle Sasuke.

**_His father_**… somehow, even after everything that happened, Hikaru still wondered how he got so lucky. As far back as he could remember, both he and his mother – for lack of a better, non-vulgar word – had lived a _difficult_ life, and it didn't take a genius to figure out why… the answer had a large forehead and mop of pink hair. The muscles in his jaw clenched as the image of the woman who caused them so much pain came to mind.

But for as much as he and his mother had suffered, fate had smiled on them tenfold. The man his mother had married – the Great Hero, her lifelong love and who was also now the Hokage of Konoha, turned out to be his **_real_** father. Hikaru could say with complete honesty and immense pride that he – _Hikaru Uzumaki Namikaze_ – was the son of one of the greatest ninja the world had ever known. It was both an amazing feeling and a bit intimidating at the same time.

And because of that, he was given many perks that others in the village didn't have access to. He didn't think it made him better than anyone else, and he never lorded it over anyone's head, but when you were related to two of the greatest ninja in the elemental nations, you got private training sessions that other people would give almost anything for. And today was a prime example of that.

He was broken out of his retrospective by his mother's voice and he perked up, trying to make it look like he'd been paying attention all this time. Luckily enough, he noticed that his mother didn't have her Byakugan activated for once.

"That concludes today's lesson. Now that we've had a few days to go over proper chakra molding for the henge technique, I'd like to see how much of it you remember. Pop quiz time." Hinata picked up a stack of papers off of her desk and extended them towards her son. "Hikaru, could you pass these out to the class?"

Still trying to maintain the illusion that he was interested, Hikaru casually stood up and took the stack of papers from his mother. However, as he went to pass them out he realized something was wrong.

"Sensei, these papers are blank."

Hinata stopped writing on the chalkboard and turned around. "What was that?" she asked, clearly confused.

"These pieces of paper. They're not quizzes, they're blank." Hikaru took the top sheet and held it up, flipping it over several times to show both sides. "See? There's nothing written on them."

Hinata stared at the paper, and then briefly activated her Byakugan to look at the rest. It appeared that Hikaru was right; every single page was blank. She could have sworn she made thirty copies of that quiz yesterday! She remembered it distinctly, but the blank pages in front of her didn't lie. What could have happened? She opened her bag and hurriedly dug through it, looking for… and then she found it. The actual quiz she had created, at the bottom of her bag. She never made copies of it; she accidentally used a blank piece of paper instead.

Hinata chided herself as she realized that what happened. Lady Tsunade called it 'pregnancy brain', somewhat like dementia where her mind wandered or went blank for no reason at all. She had two incidents of this within the last week – one was where she turned the oven on broil instead of bake, ruining dinner and making them go out to Ichiraku Ramen instead. It hadn't been her first choice, but Hikaru and Reira lobbied hard for it and rather than argue, it had been easier to just give in.

The second was where one morning she mistakenly put on Naruto's boxer shorts with frogs printed on them instead of her panties as she got dressed. The worst part was she hadn't even known until later that afternoon when she joined Hanabi for a soak in their private onsen. Hanabi laughed so hard at the sight of it that she actually peed her pants, and Hinata had threatened her with all sorts of bodily harm if word of this ever got out to anyone - _especially_ her husband.

"Well, it looks like I left the stack of quizzes back at my house," she said quickly, making up a story on the spot to defer suspicion. There was no way she was going to tell the class what she really did. She took the stack of blank papers from Hikaru and placed them on her desk. "Instead, tonight I'd like each of you to write a three page essay summarizing what…"

Listening to his mother give another pointless assignment on something he already knew how to do was the last straw and at that point, Hikaru decided he'd had enough. Last night, he and the old lady worked late again and as usual, their efforts hit a dead end. With Uncle Neji's birthday only a few months away and time running out, he'd been working feverishly to find a solution to the caged bird seal, causing him to get less and less sleep. Between exhaustion, frustration and a very short fuse because of it all, he finally snapped.

He groaned loudly, interrupting his mother. "Oh come on, Sensei!" he exclaimed, rolling his eyes and throwing up his hands in exasperation. "You've gotta be kidding me! We should be practicing this, not writing an essay on it!"

An oppressive silence came over the room as the rest of his classmates looked at Hikaru in shock. Visions of horrific punishments filled their heads as they stared at the boy who had the audacity to talk to his mother that way.

"Excuse me?" Hinata asked flatly as she gave her son a hardened stare.

"You heard me! What good are concepts and theories in the middle of a fight? You should be concerned over whether people can actually do it or not! And did you even think to ask if someone already knows how to do it? **_Huh?_** Those people are probably bored out of their minds by now!"

Hinata crossed her arms in front of her chest and cocked an eyebrow. "Is that right? And do you think you're one of these people?"

Feeling cocky, Hikaru crossed his arms in front of his chest as well. "You better believe it. As a matter of fact, I'm so good at it that I can even fool **_your_** eyes."

"I highly doubt that, Hikaru."

His irritation went up several levels at her dismissive tone. She might be his mother, but she had no idea about everything he could and couldn't do! She didn't even know how good he was at fūinjutsu because he had to keep it a secret!

And in his currently sleep deprived, overly frustrated, addled and fog induced state, he decided to up the ante and prove his mother wrong. Although later on, when he had a chance to think more clearly, he would look back and realize that this might possibly be one of the single worst decisions he ever made.

"Then why not make it interesting, **_Mom?_** Let's bet on it. If I can fool your eyes, then you have to let everyone out of class early. Oh, and you don't get to assign any homework for the next week."

Hinata snorted derisively. "Only on the condition that if you fail, your class will have to stay late every day for the next two weeks, and they will have three times the amount of homework assigned for that period as well."

"Well, I'm fine with that because I'm not going to lose. We got a deal?"

_"Yes. We have a deal." She said, grinning smugly and activating her Byakugan once again. There's no way a Hyūga can be fooled by a simple henge, she thought to herself. I've got this bet as good as won and when he loses, Hikaru is going to be punished but good for using that tone of voice and talking to me like he just did..._

"Oiroke no Jutsu!"

_Wait a second, what did he just say?_ The smug expression vanished from Hinata's face as Hikaru disappeared in a cloud of smoke, only to be replaced by a four foot tall, red-headed, voluptuous and very naked female, with wisps of smoke covering the more private parts.

Hikaru struck a pose and in a sultry female voice asked, "Well, Sensei? Can you see through my transformation? Or do I win the bet?"

Everyone stared at Hikaru in disbelief, their eyes as big as dinner plates. A couple of boys had a trickle of blood coming from their noses, a good portion of the girls were cracking their knuckles at the promise of giving Hikaru a severe beating for doing something like that, and Hinata… well, her look of disbelief quickly transformed into one of intense anger. Her hand shot out and grabbed his ear.

_"HIKARU UZUMAKI NAMIKAZE!" she shouted, twisting his ear painfully, "STOP USING THAT DISGUSTING PERVERTED JUTSU RIGHT NOW!"_

Another cloud of smoke and Hikaru was back to his normal self, his face scrunched up in pain. "Ow! Ow! Ow! Okay, I changed back! See? Now let go of my…"

"Be quiet!" she exclaimed, interrupting him as she twisted his ear once again. "Where did you learn how to do that?"

Hikaru might be a lot of things, but he was no squealer. He wasn't going to rat out his Uncle Konohamaru, or his father for that matter. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea, after all. "I read how to do it in a book! I swear!"

"My Byakugan is still active, Hikaru! I can tell you're lying!"

"Fine! You caught me! But I'm not telling anyways!"

"Then we'll see what your father has to say about this!" Still grasping him firmly by his ear, she dragged him towards the door. "Class is dismissed early today! Hikaru and I have some business with the Hokage."

They left the room, with Hikaru still protesting loudly at his mother's ruthless attack on his ear, and his voice faded down the hallway until nothing but silence remained. The class remained still until Shiga decided to speak.

"Well, that was fun. But hey – at least Hikaru won the bet! We're getting out of class early, and we don't have to worry about homework for the next week! We should get him to do that more often!"

Every eye in the class turned in his direction, but those from the girls were the ones that sent a shiver down Shiga's spine, because every look of promised pain and cracking knuckles was now being directed towards him.

"Uh, guys? Taysuke? Hiro? Anyone?" he pleaded, backing away from the group of angry girls that were slowly advancing on him. "A little help here?"

He got a sinking feeling in his stomach as he noticed that his friends had abandoned him; finding anything in the room suddenly more interesting than he was. None of them were stupid enough to say anything and share the beating he was about to get.

"Aw, man…" he whined, as he felt the wall at his back and realized the girls had backed him into a corner. They quickly descended on him, their fists flying from what seemed like every direction as they pummeled him mercilessly for suggesting that Hikaru should use that perverted technique more often.

Takamaru yipped in laughter, because his master only had himself to blame, while the other boys thanked Kami that Shiga would be the only one to suffer the girls' wrath – even if they all silently agreed with him.

* * *

Freyja had been walking around Konoha for the last hour or so, her mind wandering as aimlessly as she was. The day had started out great – a few chūnin who thought they were pretty good requested a sparring session with her, and after kicking their collective asses and humiliating them thoroughly, she thought a soak at the kunoichi bathhouse would be nice.

But then that ANBU had found her and said that Gabriel… scratch that, _Naruto_ was back in the village and needed to see her immediately. Her thoughts changed from the soak to molesting Kakashi in a variety of ways and she took off, planning on dragging her boyfriend and part time sex toy into one of the empty rooms to see if they could do that scene from chapter twenty-two, where he has her back pinned against the wall and her legs propped up high on a piece of furniture while he takes her mercilessly, over and over again.

Then her libido got dashed against the rocks when Gabriel… damn it, that's gonna be a hard habit to break… _Naruto_ said he had two scrolls from Saladin, one of which turned out to be his final words. It had been very sobering to hear the story behind the Mienai Segi, and Saladin had been right – his incessant drive for power to protect those who couldn't protect themselves from the evils of the world spawned another threat as dangerous as the Akatsuki ever was.

Then after reiterating how Saladin wanted them to live normal lives, Naruto dropped that simple yet massive fucking bomb on her, asking her to use her real name from now on. It was one of her biggest secrets; the last vestige she had between her and total surrender to her situation. The worst part was that Naruto had made a pretty convincing argument – she'd put down more roots here in Konoha than anyplace else she'd ever been, and that included the village she was born in.

So why was she so dead set against doing this? What was she afraid of? With everything good that had happened to her, why was it so hard to do something so simple? Maybe it was just the pessimist in her, thinking that something bad was bound to happen to her sooner or later. With the exception of Reira being born, there'd been a pretty definable pattern she'd had to reference from in her life.

And just like that, she knew she needed the opinion of someone else who might understand her situation, and what she was going through. But it had to be a friend; someone she felt she could trust which narrowed the list considerably. Furthermore, it couldn't be anyone close to the situation because she wanted an outside opinion, not one that was already influenced. And that brought the list down to just one name.

Within minutes of her decision she was standing in front of the home of that person, knocking on the front door. Freyja hoped she was home because otherwise it was going to be a real shitty afternoon. But then the door opened, and she heaved a sigh of relief.

"Freyja? Hey, is something wrong? You look like someone just gave you a very bad piece of news."

"Hey, Kurenai…" Freyja replied glumly, giving her a sad smile. "…you're actually not too far off the truth. I've got a problem and I need some advice, woman to woman. Can you spare some time to talk?"

* * *

A/N: Okay, okay - I know that this chapter may not exactly have been exciting but everything in it needed to be written to keep the story going. I really wanted to put more into it but nothing fit, and it would have delayed releasing this for another couple of weeks and I didn't want to do that to you guys. Please don't hate me for it.

As always, I'm reminding everyone that Mina is the OC of **MattWilson83**. If you haven't gotten over to his account on DeviantArt and read his **NaruHina Chronicles**, you're doing yourself a great disservice. It's pure awesomeness. 'Nuff said.

What we did get here was the mystery of the Mienai Segi cleared up, we finally know what's in the scrolls and others are starting to learn of the Mienai Segi as well. I threw some humor with Hikaru in at the end to keep things light - he really should have thought about his decision to use the Sexy Jutsu more but that's what happens when you mix lack of sleep and frustration. There was still a reason for it, though - and it will be revealed next chapter.

So, what's coming? The outline for the next chapter is already done, so here you go! Sasuke is going to teach Kakashi chakra interlacing (what exactly is that? You'll see!) We find out if Freyja starts using her real name, there's some interaction between Ino and Choji and Hikaru makes a breakthrough on the caged bird seal with a little help from an unlikely source. Sakura makes a small appearance and oh, yeah - Hinata gets a MAJOR surprise.

**_Recommendation time!_** Once again, I find myself trying to recommend a good story that's small, has been updated in the last month or so and doesn't have a lot of followers and needs some traction, despite some great writing. It's a shame that many of the stories I love to read haven't been updated in quite some time, but I understand (more than anyone) that life can get in the way. (I'm calling you out this chapter, **gigiree123!** Send me some beta work on **A Reluctant Return!**)

There's one I've been enjoying for some time by **cookiemonsterlover32** called **Your Smile Is What Saved Me.** Hinata breaks emotionally when Naruto starts dating Sakura and turns into a dark, ruthless uncaring killer. When things don't work out between Naruto and Sakura, he realizes that Hinata is the one he wanted all along and vows to save her, no matter what. Sakura is also an evil, manipulative bitch in this story if you like that sort of thing. It's a great bit of writing and I'm hopeful that with a bit of a nudge the author will release the next chapter (which is pivotal) so if you're curious, head over there and check it out. I urge you to leave a review and put the author, or perhaps his stories on your favorite/follow list. I'm sure he'd appreciate it.

Here's the link, as usual remove the spaces and you know what to replace the stars with:

www. fanfiction . *** / s / 9667656

**REVIEWS!** Sixty five reviews last chapter, which is really good and I'm closing in on 1,000 favorites. I'm feeling good right now, but that doesn't mean I'm just gonna sit back and relax. I'm still going to plead for reviews because as every writer here on FanFiction knows it's the reviews that drive us... when people tell us how much they love our story it makes us feel better about our creation and keeps us going, even when life makes things difficult.

So with so many people keeping my story on their favorite or following list, let's see how many reviews I can get for this chapter. Good or bad, critique or praise I read them all and take whatever is offered to heart. Don't forget - reviews make the world go round, they help motivate me to write and they help the next chapter get released faster. So even if it's something simple like "good job" or "loved it", it helps to see things like that. So please take ten seconds out of your life and leave me a review to tell me how I'm doing.

That's all for now. Take care and stay safe.

Serious Sam


	29. Ch 28: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

28\. Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

**_Pain heals. Chicks dig scars. Glory lasts forever. - Shane Falco_**

So yeah, here's chapter 28 for my amazing, loyal readers. I wanted to get it out earlier but I had a problem of where to end the chapter, and what to put into it. The result is this, which is a chapter longer than most of the others. I hope you enjoy my effort.

As I always do, I'd like to thank **Titokhan** and my anonymous beta for their help and support. You guys are the best!

So, before we get into my standard rounds of shout-outs and credit where credit is due, I'd like to say a few things about the manga...

First of all, OMG NaruHina is finally canon! Can't tell you how happy I was to see this, and ecstatic that Kishi didn't string us along until **Naruto: The Last Movie** came out. There were some other pairings that happened, and were expected - Shikamaru/Temari and Sasuke/Sakura being the prime examples. But when I saw Ino/Sai I said, "Okay, I could kind of see that." The two that took me by complete surprise were Kiba/Tamaki, and even more so was Choji/Karui. That one came completely out of left field. I'm actually happy for Choji, though - he did alright for himself. Karui seems to love him, and she's smoking hot as well.

Of course, now this means that any story here on FanFiction that doesn't follow what happened could technically be considered AU. Case in point would be this story - Sai and Kankuro are dead, and Kakashi still has the Sharingan, among other inconsistencies - Hikaru being the biggest.

_Which also leads me to another critical point._

The thing I love most about writing this story is the fact that it changes as time goes on - there have been quite a few things I've written into this story because of suggestions from those who read it. I've changed and added plotlines based on your ideas and frankly, I couldn't be happier about it because it shows that this story is about everyone who reads it, and not just me and my vision. **_To that end, I've put a poll up on my profile page that simply MUST be answered. I'll tell you more about it in my author's notes at the end of the chapter._**

So anyway, on to my favorite section! It's a little short, but here's some **_Credit Where Credit Is Due:_**

**MattWilson83:** You had a great idea about the interaction between Sakura and Ino, and I used it here. Hopefully it's in keeping with the ideas we bantered back and forth. Let me know if you like it.

**Hektols:** Your idea about Choji and Ino is used here, although I've made a small tweak based on what happened in the manga. Thanks so much for suggesting it, and you'll see hints of it in this chapter.

**_Now for some story shout-outs!_**

**Reixe - Making Up For Lost Time:** This is a story that I helped Reixe write the description for, and did some beta work on the first chapter only. It's still early (only 4 chapters) but he's pushed the updates out rather quickly. Give it a read if you get the chance.

**Softwinds - The Ring That Binds:** Yay! An update! This is one of my favorite stories, and if you haven't checked it out you absolutely should. Only one more chapter to go, and I can't wait!

**UnqualifiedAuthor65 - Your Smile Is What Saved Me:** Now, I recommended this story last chapter, and I'll say that if you're looking for a story where Sakura is an outright manipulative, vengeful bitch, then this is the story for you. It just got updated yesterday and the latest chapter is just so evil and juicy. I can't wait to see what happens when Sakura gets caught. Check it out if that's what you like.

Here's a few more stories that were recently updated, from authors that I've either supported or who have supported me:

**Lu Lu-Chan25 - Change is Good, Right?**

**DeisuiNeko - Snow Angels**

**Our Ninja Way - Just Retribution**

**Sparks - tenneyshoes**

And now, on to the disclaimer! Even though it's a bit past Thanksgiving, and not every country celebrates this particular holiday, here's one I've been meaning to use for a while now. It's from a very old TV show, but one I watch every year - just like I watch It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown at Halloween:

**_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. And now, let's go to Les Nessman at the Pinedale Shopping Mall._**

**_Les Nessman: I'm here with hundreds of people who have gathered to witness what has been described as perhaps the greatest turkey event in Thanksgiving Day history. And now, there appears to be a helicopter circling over the parking area. Wait! Something just came out of the back of the helicopter. Perhaps a skydiver plummeting to earth from only a few thousand feet in the air... Now there's a third... No parachutes yet... They can't be skydivers..._**

**_Disclaimer: Is there any way you can get a better look, Les?_**

**_Les Nessman: I can't tell just yet what they are, but... Oh, my God they're turkeys! They're crashing to the earth right in front of our eyes! One just broke through the windshield of a parked car! Everyone's running around, pushing each other. Oh, the humanity! The turkeys are hitting the ground like sacks of wet cement! The crowd is running for their lives. Children are screaming for their mothers. I don't know how much longer I can hold my position here, the crowd..._**

**_Disclaimer: Les? Les, are you there? Les isn't there. Thanks for that on-the-spot report, Les. For those of you who've just tuned in, the Pinedale Shopping Mall has just been bombed with live turkeys. Film at eleven. (+1 if you get the reference.)_**

* * *

Chapter 28 - Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

"Chakra interlacing," Sasuke began, "is the main tenet and foundation to all techniques that are taught within the Mienai Segi."

Kakashi was standing several feet in front of Sasuke, paying rapt attention as the young man explained this new technique. The irony of the situation was not lost on him – he was known as the copy ninja, had hundreds of jutsu under his belt and yet here he was, at the ANBU training grounds being taught under the watchful eye of one of his former students.

_Kakashi suddenly felt very, very old._

"A more accurate, yet less technical description would be Reverse Sage Mode, which is what Naruto privately refers to it as." Sasuke continued. "The principle behind it is that you take the chakra in your body and weave it into the natural chakra that surrounds us."

"That sounds very much like sage training to me, Sasuke." Kakashi said mildly. "And if I remember correctly, Naruto said on more than one occasion that if you can't control nature energy, you'll turn into a stone toad. How does this differ, and what are the actual benefits from doing this technique?"

"The difference is that instead of taking nature energy into your body and mixing it with your own chakra, you're doing it outside the body so there's no chance of you turning into a stone toad." Sasuke explained. "And there are several benefits of learning this technique. It enhances any jutsu that you perform, and if your control is good enough, it can also augment your strength and speed to a small degree. Naruto and Freyja can do this, but I haven't gained enough mastery over this technique to do that yet. However, the main benefit is that it makes your chakra signature undetectable to anyone who hasn't had this training, and specifically knows how to look for it."

Kakashi narrowed his eye at Sasuke. "Despite the fact that I've seen some examples of this firsthand with Freyja and know that it works, I'm finding it a bit hard to believe, Sasuke." He said skeptically. "If you mix it with nature energy outside your body, how can it strengthen your jutsu?"

"Because you're not mixing it, you're weaving your chakra into the nature energy. The difference here is that your chakra and the nature energy remain as two separate and distinct items, so when the jutsu leaves your body it's the _jutsu_ that takes the nature energy in and makes it stronger, not you."

"Then doesn't that make anyone who learns this as powerful as a Sage?"

Sasuke shook his head. "No, it doesn't. It's a preparation and aftereffect variance. Chakra interlacing will on average make your techniques two or three times stronger. It could be more or less depending on your level of expertise. Sage Mode, on the other hand is exponentially higher because you're mixing nature energy with your own chakra at the source, which is inside your body. The reason why it's much more powerful is also the reason why it's inherently more dangerous."

After a few moments, Kakashi nodded his head. "Okay, I think I understand. But how about a demonstration?" he asked, reaching for his hitai-ate to uncover his Sharingan. "This will probably go faster if I…"

"Don't." Sasuke said firmly, motioning for Kakashi to drop his hand. "I tried the same thing during the first day of my training, and not only did it not work, it actually made things worse. This isn't something you can copy, Kakashi. You have to learn it from scratch."

Kakashi heaved a defeated sigh. "Okay, fine. But I'd still like that demonstration."

"Then let's start with how it makes your chakra undetectable. I'll need you to close your eyes and sense me."

Kakashi did as he was told, extending his senses outward. It took very little effort to pinpoint Sasuke's location. "You haven't moved. You're still about eight or nine feet in front of me."

Sasuke's voice floated towards him. "Now I'm going to start to perform the chakra interlacing technique. I'll do it slow, so you can observe the effects."

His eyes still closed, Kakashi nodded mutely. If he couldn't use his Sharingan to assist him in learning this technique, he needed to ensure his senses remained in a hyper-aware state in order to observe even the most miniscule details. Then with his mind's eye he watched in wonder as Sasuke's chakra began to fade, almost like it was a cloud of smoke thinning itself out on the wind. After approximately ten seconds his chakra had disappeared completely.

"Now I'm going to change my position every few seconds. If you can sense where I am, please tell me."

Kakashi strained, doing his best to detect where Sasuke was moving to. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead with the effort but try as he might, he couldn't do it and after fifteen seconds he decided to give up.

"I can't sense anything." He said, shaking his head sadly.

"Open your eyes." Sasuke commanded.

Kakashi did so, noting that Sasuke was in the same place as he was when he first closed them. He wondered if…

"I know what you're thinking, and the answer is no – I didn't stay in one place to fool you." Sasuke said smugly. "I merely moved in a circle around you… twice."

Kakashi mumbled something about smart-ass former students under his breath.

"Now I'll show you the difference it can make with a jutsu." He stopped the chakra interlacing technique, allowing Kakashi to sense him once again. He flashed through a few handsigns and shouted, "Fire Style: Great Fireball Justu!"

A fifteen foot tall fireball erupted from his mouth and barreled towards a copse of trees, cutting a swath through the middle of them. Kakashi was impressed with the demonstration, especially knowing that Sasuke wasn't trying in earnest.

Once the jutsu vanished, he turned back to Kakashi. "And now, I'll start to perform chakra interlacing." He said blandly. "Once again, I'll do it slow so you can feel exactly what I'm doing."

As before, Kakashi felt Sasuke's chakra signature slowly disperse until he couldn't sense it anymore. If his eyes didn't see Sasuke right in front of him, he wouldn't have known the Uchiha was standing there.

"Now observe what happens when I perform the same jutsu as before, utilizing the exact same amount of chakra." Sasuke flashed through the same handsigns as before and shouted, "Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"

Kakashi knew the jutsu would be more powerful; he'd expected as much. But when it actually happened, he could honestly say that he wasn't prepared for the result.

This time, a thirty foot high fireball erupted from Sasuke's mouth, rolling through the trench that was carved from the last one. However, it wasn't merely the size of the fireball that shocked Kakashi, but the intense amount of heat it was giving off. When it touched them, the trees that were still burning were incinerated almost immediately, turning to ash and collapsing inward upon themselves. It took a bit longer but the fireball eventually weakened and withered away, just like the previous one.

"_That_ is what happens when you interlace your chakra with nature energy. Keep in mind that my skill level with this technique is barely intermediate." Sasuke said, as if stating the obvious. "Freyja and Naruto are far better at it than I am."

Kakashi stared at Sasuke in stunned silence, his only visible eye wider than usual. If this level was barely intermediate…

"Once you learn how to do this, you need to get to the point where you're doing it subconsciously all the time. It should be as natural to you as breathing the air." Sasuke walked over to the nearest rock and sat upon it, crossing his legs in the lotus position. "We have the rest of this afternoon to work on this, Kakashi. I'm going to teach you the basics, and I'll give you a bit of guidance along the way but the majority of learning this technique will be up to you."

Kakashi cocked an eyebrow. "Not that I'm complaining mind you, since that's pretty much how I trained everyone that studied with me, but you've made me curious… with something this difficult, why not provide a more detailed instruction?"

"Because that's how I was taught, and I happen to agree with the method that was used. If you want the power to protect others, then you have to work for it, and you have to earn it. It's trial by fire. Nothing is freely given in the Mienai Segi. Understand though, that once you learn how to do this we can move on to the next level, which involves specific meditation techniques and some of the more manageable forbidden jutsu."

Kakashi closed his eyes, mentally preparing himself for what lied ahead. The last time he'd been in a position where he couldn't learn something by using his Sharingan he was nine years old, the Yondaime had been his teacher and Obito and Rin had been his teammates. That of course had been before the incidents where Obito had been crushed by a rock and given him his Sharingan, and Rin had purposely impaled herself on his Chidori to save the Leaf Village. It was also the last time he'd willingly allowed anyone to get that close to him.

He also knew, even without Sasuke saying so that this was going to be one of the most difficult things he'd ever done. The Mienai Segi had a limited number of members for a reason. He was sure that many people had come to Saladin over the years but as he stated in the scroll, most people didn't survive the training. But then he was reminded of what Naruto would say, which is that _he'd do anything to protect his precious people._

Kakashi mentally laughed at himself. He'd always protected the village; that's what being a shinobi, and then later as the Hokage of Konoha meant. It wasn't that long ago when the notion of allowing someone to be close to him was an absurd idea; mainly because he was afraid that those who did would inevitably get hurt or killed. He'd said it to himself on more occasions than he could count.

But now that Freyja and Reira were part of his life, he'd come to grips with the fact that he'd been wrong. He didn't want to push them away in the hope that they'd remain safe; he wanted them close so that he could better protect them. His feelings for Freyja and Reira were growing stronger by the day, and he'd be damned if he was going to force them out of his life like he'd done every time before. This time it'd be different. This time he'd be there. This time he'd protect those most precious to him until his very last breath.

He opened his eyes and followed suit, sitting down on the ground and assuming the lotus position. He inclined his head towards Sasuke, giving him the respect that once, many years ago his student had given him, when they'd privately trained in preparation for the chūnin exams.

"Then let's get started… sensei."

* * *

_Knock, knock, knock._

From her seat behind her desk, Tsunade looked towards the door to her office. She'd been lost in thought over the papers scattered in front of her, which were a combination of hospital administration reports and her work with Hikaru on the caged bird seal. Normally she wouldn't have brought such sensitive material to work, but the previous night had been rather frustrating and tiring for the both of them. She thought that perhaps a few extra hours of studying every day might help, because they were running out of time.

One thing she had learned while working with Hikaru was how much he reminded her of Naruto. He was brash, and outspoken. He'd played pranks on people when he was younger – although for a very different reason than Naruto had. Given the chance, he'd train non-stop with his father and Sasuke, who he'd come to think of as an uncle. She found that to be rather strange, since he still couldn't stand the sight of Sakura, and scowled darkly when someone even mentioned of her name.

But he also never gave up on anything, and never went back on a promise. And he'd promised to figure this out before Neji and Tenten's child was born. There was so much riding on this and he didn't want to let anyone down, so he'd been driving himself mercilessly, night after night in the hope that they would find something that worked. She just hoped he didn't snap under the pressure before that happened.

She quickly gathered the papers together and placed the stack in one of her drawers before telling whoever it was to come in. She was a bit surprised to see it was Hinata, her face a picture of worry and concern.

"Hinata? What brings you here today? And why do you have that look on your face?"

"H-Hello, Lady Tsunade. May… May I come in? I-I need to talk with you about s-something." Hinata stuttered nervously, like she used to do when she was younger.

"Of course." Tsunade said, motioning her inside. Hinata closed the door behind her and took a seat, her eyes staring downwards at her hands, as she twisted her wedding ring nervously around her finger.

"Hinata, are you okay? You haven't stuttered in months. What's causing you to start back up?"

"I… I think there's something wrong with me." Hinata said worriedly.

"Wrong? Wrong like how? You mean with the baby? Have you felt any sharp pains, or…"

"No, no… nothing like that. I-It's just…" Hinata lowered her head, hiding her eyes behind her bangs ashamedly. "I…I y-yelled at Hikaru today. Louder than I ever have. In front of his entire class."

"Really?" Tsunade asked curiously, as her eyebrows rose. "People who are pregnant get emotional like that all the time. What did he do to make you yell at him? Crack some joke about your weight?"

"No, he…he got belligerent with me in front of his class, a-and then used the Sexy Jutsu to win an ill-advised bet."

Tsunade stared back at her in surprise. "The Sexy Jutsu? Since when does he know how to do that? Did Naruto teach him?"

Hinata shook her head. "No. When I dragged Hikaru into his office, I asked Naruto-kun about that. My husband swore that it wasn't him, and I had my Byakugan activated at the time. He wasn't lying. That means it had to be Konohamaru, since his penchant for pulling pranks is as bad as Naruto-kun's. I'll be having a discussion with Hanabi later so that he can be suitably punished."

"Then what's the problem? I'd say you were justified in getting angry at him."

Hinata's head came up, and her eyes were full of worry. Tsunade could tell that even though this was perfectly normal for someone who was pregnant, Hinata was frightened of what was happening to her. The Hyūga were known for always being in control of their emotions.

"But that's not me, Lady Tsunade! I mean yes, Hikaru shouldn't have confronted me in front of the class, and he certainly shouldn't have used the Sexy Jutsu no matter what the situation, but… but I've never yelled at anyone like that in my life! Even at my worst – even after the incident with Sakura at the hospital, I've never been that angry! And lately, I've noticed that my emotions are getting further and further out of control. The herbs aren't helping anymore, so I'm thinking something's wrong."

"Well, I'm sure it's nothing but let me take a quick look." Tsunade said, doing her best to ease the young woman's fears. She gestured at the couch in her office. "Lie down and put your hands at your sides. Try to remain still."

Hinata did as she was told, while Tsunade hovered her hands about six inches over Hinata's face. After a moment they began to glow, and she moved them slowly down Hinata's body, giving her a cursory examination and looking for anything abnormal. About halfway through she identified the source of the problem, but she continued the examination, just to be safe.

Besides, with the news she was about to give Hinata, she wanted to make sure there wasn't anything else she needed to worry about.

"Well, that explains it." She said, finishing up.

Hinata propped herself up on her elbows, a borderline look of panic etched upon her face at hearing there was something wrong. "What explains it, Lady Tsunade? Is it my baby? Is it okay?"

"Calm down, Hinata. Your **_babies_** are fine." Tsunade said, placing emphasis on the word.

Hinata's body froze, the only movement being her eyes as they blinked owlishly back at Tsunade, who was now smirking at her. "W-What d-did you s-say?" she stammered.

"Babies, Hinata. You're having twins. That's the reason why the herbs aren't working."

"Babies?" she repeated, "A-Are you sure?"

"I positive, since I can sense two chakra signatures that aren't yours." Tsunade's smirk turned into a full-blown smile. "Congratulations."

_Upon hearing the news Hinata gulped nervously, thinking of what lied ahead. Twice the back pain. Swollen ankles the size of grapefruits. Double the amount of trips she'd have to make to the bathroom every hour. Irritability and mood swings wilder than Tora on catnip. And a waistline so big, Naruto would have to roll her out of bed in the morning because she couldn't stand up on her own. She'd have to start shopping for clothes at the same place the Akimichi clan did._

She took one long last look at Tsunade before her eyes rolled up in the back of her head and she fainted.

Having expected this, Tsunade quickly checked her vital signs, making sure that she fainted simply from emotional overload and nothing else. Once she was satisfied that everything was fine, Tsunade chuckled and once again sat behind her desk, pulling out the stack of papers she had hidden when Hinata knocked on her door.

"Well, that brought a bit of excitement to an otherwise dull day," she said, spreading the papers back out across the top of the desk. "I might as well get some work done while I'm waiting for her to wake up, although I wish I could be there when she tells the gaki the good news. I wonder if he'll shout it from the top of the Hokage Monument or faint, just like she did."

* * *

A few minutes before five o'clock Sasuke, along with a ragged and dirty Kakashi walked into Naruto's office for their afternoon meeting. Ino was already there waiting on them but Naruto had his eyes closed, and was rubbing his temples in exasperation. Clearly something had happened while they were gone.

"Nice of you guys to finally show up," Ino said sarcastically, "I've been sitting here for the last fifteen minutes."

"The meeting was scheduled for five o'clock, Ino," Sasuke bit back, "so we're right on time. And you were supposed to wait for the rest of us to arrive before talking to Naruto."

"I haven't said anything to him yet. He's been rubbing his temples since I got here, but he won't say why. I was hoping now that you guys got here he might spill his guts about what's giving him that headache he has."

Sasuke cocked an eyebrow at his brother. "Dobe? Plan on sharing what's bothering you? Or are you going to suffer in silence?"

"Hinata showed up here a few hours ago with Hikaru in tow." Naruto said wearily. "She was livid because apparently, my son decided to talk back to her in front of the entire class, and then he used the Sexy Jutsu to win a bet for a week's worth of no homework."

The room was silent for a few seconds before snickers and snorts of laughter broke out. Naruto glared back at them, clearly not amused.

Ino caught his look and apologized. "Sorry Naruto, I know you don't think that's funny, but it really is. He's definitely your kid. I mean, you used to do that all the time when you were younger and got in worse trouble than that."

"I did it because I wanted attention, Ino." Naruto retorted. "Hikaru gets more than enough of that. And doing it in front of my pregnant wife didn't help matters any, because she accused me of teaching it to him."

"Well? Did you?" Kakashi asked cheekily.

"No, and quit asking about it!" Naruto snapped, not enjoying being interrogated about this. If they kept at it, he'd have to tell them _who_ taught Hikaru the Sexy Jutsu, _why_ he'd learned it in the first place and the reason behind his son's severe lack of sleep, which caused him to make an ill-advised decision to use it in front of Hinata and his entire class at the academy. "Why don't you tell me how your training this afternoon went?"

Kakashi groaned and placed his hands in the small of his back, stretching his spine out. It popped in several places as he leaned to the left and right. "Tiring. It's a hell of a lot harder than Sasuke made it sound. How long did it take you to learn it?"

"Shadow clones and the time I spent at Mount Myōboku made it easier for me. I got it in about three days. It took Sasuke a couple of weeks of non-stop training to get it, but I'm still better at it than he is."

"I've already informed Kakashi about that. No need to rub my face in it." Sasuke replied.

Before Naruto could say anything else Freyja appeared in the doorway with a hardened look on her face. Everyone watched as she made a beeline for the empty chair in front of Naruto's desk and sat down, her eyes never leaving his. The muscles on her jaw flexed for a second before she said a single word.

"Hanari." She said tersely. Kakashi's eye opened wide when he heard her speak.

"What's that?" Naruto asked.

"Hanari. That's my real name. Saladin wanted a normal life for me, right? The only thing left between that and what I have here is my ultimate out in case things turn to shit – _my anonymity._ So fine… no more masks, no more aliases and no more hiding." She huffed, looking tired and defeated. "I'm… I'm here to stay – _Naruto._"

Everyone was staring at the two of them in shock, but none more so than Kakashi, who couldn't believe his girlfriend actually revealed her real name – even though he already knew what it was. He hadn't talked to anyone about it, but one of his biggest fears was that she and Reira might up and leave if things got too intense. With everything that happened today, that problem had somehow fixed itself, and he knew Naruto was the one responsible.

"Then I'll say thank you _Hanari,_ for trusting us with something so personal. However, I'm just wondering – with the way you talked to me earlier today, I figured my chances were slim to none of you agreeing with me. So what was it that changed your mind?"

"Actually, I got some really good advice from a friend of mine."

**_***Flashback***_**

_Kurenai stared dumbfounded at her guest. The story she'd just been told seemed almost too farfetched to be true._

**_Almost,_**_ she reminded herself. With everything that occurred in the years leading up to, and then _**_in_**_ the fourth shinobi war, she decided long ago that dismissing something as unlikely or impossible wasn't a good idea._

_"Wow, that's quite a story – and frankly, it's a lot to take in." she said, taking a sip of her tea._

_"Yeah, I figured it would be. Secrets are part of my lifestyle, Kurenai." Hanari said sullenly. "The less people know about you, the easier it is to disappear and start over, and with all the times I've jumped from place to place because Reira's safety was at risk, I really don't want to give up my ace in the hole. The ability to become nothing but a memory is a nice thing to have in your back pocket."_

_Kurenai nodded her head in agreement. "I can't argue with that. If Asuma was in danger, I'd do anything to keep him safe. But tell me – and this stays just between the two of us – do you intend to leave Konoha?"_

_Hanari sipped her coffee, giving her a second to think about it – which she really didn't need, because the answer was crystal clear. "No way," she said, shaking her head, "Reira loves it here, and she's got a thing for Hikaru. She's apparently dead set on marrying him when they get older, whether he likes it or not. And besides, with the exception of Reira, Kakashi is the best thing that's ever happened to me. I'm not giving him up without a fight, but if things go south again I won't hesitate to choose my daughter over him."_

_"Do you think it will?"_

_Hanari immediately thought about Gideon and what she knew about him. She didn't believe for a second that he wasn't coming to Konoha at some point to turn this place into a smoldering pile of ash, but any information about him was still an S-rank secret. She couldn't tell Kurenai even if she wanted to. Playing it coy was her only option at this point._

_"No, but that doesn't mean it won't. I don't know anyone that can predict the future – do you?"_

_"Agreed." Kurenai said calmly, taking another sip of tea. "Then answer me this – if you had the choice to leave Konoha, would you?"_

_"I just answered that question, Kurenai. Weren't you listening?"_

_"No, you didn't. You told me what you'd do if you _**_had_**_ to leave Konoha. I'm asking with all things being equal – specifically, that there's no imminent danger to you or Reira – and if you had a choice, _**_would_**_ you leave Konoha? The difference between the two is your answer. What's more important to you? Your ability to leave or what you have here?"_

**_***End Flashback***_**

"What I have here is too important for me to just give it up," she said flatly, "and you made a lot of good points earlier. Reira is too attached to Hikaru, and well…" she stopped talking and fidgeted under the gaze of everyone in the room.

"Well what?" Naruto asked pointedly.

Hanari glared at Naruto, feeling like she'd been backed into a corner and hating it – and Naruto stared right back at her with a knowing smirk on his face. _Friggin jerk,_ she thought, _you wanna break me down and turn me into one of those weepy, starry-eyed, lovesick females, don't you?_

Naruto didn't flinch under her penetrating gaze, even going so far as to cross his arms in front of his chest to show how serious he was about this. _You're gonna make me say it right in front of him, aren't you?_ It only took five more seconds of uncomfortable silence before she finally cracked.

"Fine!" she blurted out, "I'm crazy about Kakashi! He's _mine,_ and no one else can have him! There! Are you happy now?"

"Moderately happy, yes. Kakashi-sensei's probably more thrilled about than I am, though. Was that really so hard to say?"

"You have **no** idea." She said, her face flushed with embarrassment.

"Well, now that we've had our fun, let's get down to business. Ino, what'd you find out?"

Ino took a deep breath and said, "So, I took a look and you were right – Jackal's mind has been tampered with, but in a way I've never seen before."

Hanari and Naruto leaned towards Ino, seemingly far more interested than before. "Explain," they said in unison.

Ino eyed them both warily… she could understand Naruto wanting to know, but why Hanari? And how was she tied in with all this?

"When you create and implant false memories, you layer them over the real ones. It's done that way so that if you ever need to access them, you can just peel off the fake, made up stuff – in a manner of speaking – and see the original memories, but these were different. They're intertwined and woven together with the real memories, and then strengthened. Whoever did this was either a certified genius or a psychopathic freak."

Naruto and Hanari exchanged a glance. Something passed between them and Naruto nodded, giving her permission to continue.

"It's probably a little bit of both." Hanari said pointedly, narrowing her eyes at Ino. "But I need you to be more specific. Strengthened how?"

"Umm… the best analogy I can give would be if someone decided to exercise, but concentrated only on their right bicep. Jackal believes without a doubt that these are his real memories, and that belief is incredibly strong – almost bordering on fanaticism. But the weird thing is that even though they're strong, they're also incredibly fragile, and that's what makes this so difficult. I thought I might be able to pull it apart, but it's like a twisted mass of vines in there. If I try and untangle them, I'll rip both the false memories AND the real ones to shreds, taking the rest of his mind with it and driving him insane. It's like it has a built-in failsafe against being tampered with, and the only way I can get rid of it is to erase that entire section of his memory and that won't help, because I'll be wiping out what you're looking for in the first place."

Naruto decided to chime in. "No offense Ino, but what about your dad? Think he might be able to do something you can't?

"None taken, and you can feel free to ask him but the answer will probably be the same. This is beyond anything my clan knows how to do – you'd be talking about a prodigy on a level we've never seen before. And reversing whatever was done to him is out of the question – unless you want to turn him into a drooling vegetable."

Hanari turned her head back to stare at Naruto. Another glance passed between them and Naruto said, "It's Nyx."

"Nyx?" Ino asked pointedly, her natural curiosity coming to the surface. "Who's Nyx?"

"Someone we used to work with," Naruto told her. "She's insanely brilliant at genjutsu and mind techniques. Itachi is probably the only other person I can think of who would have been her equal in genjutsu, and she can warp someone's mind better than anyone in the Yamanaka clan."

"So now we know two, maybe three of the people we're up against." Hanari said bluntly. "And we still don't know what their next move is gonna be. What do we do now?"

"My suggestion would be to step up the ANBU patrols _outside_ of the village." Sasuke offered. "Gideon intercepted your message, so he knows you and Freyja… I mean, Hanari are here. As twisted as he might be, he's not stupid – and a frontal attack on this village at this point would have no chance of success. Shikamaru can coordinate the efforts of my men to get maximum results in the shortest amount of time. We need information and we need it fast."

"Who's Gideon?"

Naruto pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Another person I used to work with, Ino. Can you please stop asking questions for five minutes?" He glanced inquisitively at Kakashi. "You've been pretty quiet since Ino started talking. Is there anything you'd like to add?"

"Not really," Kakashi said, shaking his head. "The last thing we want to do is start a mass panic. Informing the other Kage is the best place to start. You've already talked with the Kazekage, and that associate of yours – Perun is going to talk with the Raikage. You need to talk with the Mizukage and Tsuchikage as soon as possible so that we can utilize their spy networks in conjunction with ours. If we cast a wide net, we're bound to catch a few fish."

"Who's Perun?"

"Ino, for the love of Kami please stop! This information is above your pay grade. I should have kicked you out once you finished giving your report." Naruto took a deep breath in an effort to calm himself. Ino was making this conversation more difficult than it already was, and he was already stressed out after Hinata and Hikaru stopped in his office earlier. As much as he loved his family, he wasn't looking forward to going home tonight – especially after earlier, when he'd felt a wave of happiness and then an overwhelming sense of fear through the seal on his hand. Whatever that meant, it couldn't be good.

"Sasuke, do me a favor and talk with Shikamaru first thing in the morning." Naruto remembered asking Hanari to tell Shikamaru to go home earlier today, so Temari could give him the good news. Odds are he was probably drunk by now. "Tonight wouldn't be a good idea, since I doubt he's in a position to listen to you anyway. Kakashi, I want you back here tomorrow to discuss options but for tonight, why don't you and Hanari spend some time together?" He grinned broadly as he glanced between the two of them. "I think the two of you have a lot to discuss."

Hanari shot a glance at Kakashi out of the corner of her eye. She could feel the blush creeping up her neck. "Yeah. Yeah, I guess we do."

Kakashi eye smiled back at her. "So, if I heard you correctly a little while ago, you said you're crazy about me?" he asked teasingly.

She glared at him, angry that he'd seen her in one of her weaker emotional moments. She didn't like being seen as lovesick or needy, because it made her feel vulnerable.

"Don't flatter yourself! I just said what Naruto wanted to hear so we could get the damn meeting started!"

"Sure you did. And it's got nothing to do with the fact that my chakra feels like comfortable shoes, right?"

Hanari clenched her fists and growled, "RRRGH! You just **HAD** to bring that up, didn't you? You're such a jerk!"

"But a jerk you've apparently got a soft spot in your heart for. Would you like to go get some dinner? I know this great place that serves **_jerk_** chicken…"

"Kiss my ass, scarecrow!" she shouted, before storming out of the room.

Kakashi chuckled at her antics. It was nice to see _her_ on the defensive for once. "Oh, yeah. She's definitely crazy about me." he stated to everyone in the room, before following after her.

"It's been a long day. I'm heading home to see Sakura and Mikomi." Sasuke stated flatly, smirking at his brother. "I'll talk to you tomorrow after I've met with Shikamaru, and you can tell me the story of how things went with you, Hinata and Hikaru. I have a feeling it'll be **_very_** interesting." And before he could give Naruto a chance to reply, he followed Hanari and Kakashi out of the office.

Naruto frowned, and then looked at the last person left in his office – except Ino didn't look like she was ready to leave. In fact, she was staring at the floor and fidgeting nervously, which was surprising because Ino usually didn't get embarrassed or nervous about… well, _anything._

"Something I can help you with, Ino?" he asked curiously.

"Umm, I wanted to talk with you privately about something, and this seemed as good a time as any. I… I need some advice."

"Advice?" he asked, somewhat shocked at the request. "You need advice from _me?_"

"I know. Usually, if I've got a problem that I can't figure out on my own I'll talk to Tenten, but in this case I need someone who's going to be brutally honest with me." Ino raised her face and stared impassively back at him. "That's what you do. You tell it like it is. You don't sugarcoat things. That's what I want right now."

He couldn't argue with her about that. If there was one thing he had in spades right now, it was bluntness. "And what exactly do you want my non-sugary coated advice on?"

Ino stopped fidgeting and heaved a defeated sigh. "Choji."

Naruto cocked an eyebrow. Asking him for advice was strange enough, but the subject being about Choji? That was probably the last thing Ino should want his advice on, considering how clueless he'd been for most of his life about the opposite sex. "Choji? What about him?"

"Do… Do you know what happened between me and him? I mean, I know you were out of the village and all, but…"

"Believe it or not, the answer is no." Naruto said, interrupting her. "The ANBU keep me informed of anything major that goes on in the village, but I try to stay out of anything really personal. I think everyone is entitled to their privacy."

"Well, it all started about two years after…" Ino hesitated for a second, realizing what she was about to say might trigger some lingering anger Naruto still harbored, but it was the only real reference point she had for him. "…umm, Sakura and Hinata came back from their 'mission'…"

She was surprised to see that Naruto didn't show any outward signs of emotion – although he became very, very still. "Go on," he prompted her.

She relaxed a bit, and then proceeded to tell the story of how at that time, after her latest boyfriend had broken up with her Choji had approached her. He'd been very sweet and kind, saying he'd liked her for a long time and asked if they could go out on a date. It'd been a lot to take in, and his confession had been so sudden that at first, she didn't know what to say. But after thinking about it for a day she agreed – since anything had to be better than the pattern of men she'd been dating.

For three solid months, Choji treated her like a princess. He was caring, considerate, and attentive – everything she could have wanted in a boyfriend, with one small exception – he wasn't a drop dead gorgeous hunk. He was just a really great guy with average looks.

And that's when doubt started to creep in. The relationship was becoming too comfortable, and she wasn't ready to either settle down **_or_** settle for him. She wasn't ready to give in to the ideal that someone like Choji could be the man for her.

When they had talked about it, Choji had been afraid that he'd done something wrong but she quickly reassured him that wasn't the case. She purposely left out the part about how she thought he was average, because she didn't want to hurt his feelings and told him she just couldn't commit to anyone right now. And somehow, through her many explanations and apologies, Choji smiled and said that it was alright. He told her that even though their relationship was ending, he still valued their friendship, and hoped it would continue afterwards. Her eyes were filled with tears as she hugged him, thanking him for being so wonderful and understanding.

"And now you're questioning your decision, right?" Naruto asked, his lips pressed disapprovingly into a thin line. "Every guy you've dated since then has been really good looking, but either treated you like crap or strung you along before dumping you. And with all our friends either settling down or in strong relationships, you're feeling jealous and greedy, because you want what they have. Am I right?"

Ino could only nod her head beneath his withering glare. "Yeah, pretty much."

"I have to say I'm a bit disappointed in you, Ino. You've always been obsessed with your looks, and you're a shopaholic on a grand scale, but even I didn't think you'd be shallow enough to stop dating someone because of their appearance."

Ino buried her face in her hands, as Naruto heaped layer after layer of well-deserved guilt upon her shoulders. "Gee, thanks. Way to sum that up." She said sarcastically.

"Well, what did you expect?" Naruto said, bristling a bit at her tone. "There's no such thing as the perfect man – you're not going to find a guy that's drop dead gorgeous, as you so eloquently put it, who worships the ground you walk on and dotes on you every chance he gets. Guys like that are only interested in themselves. You can't have it both ways, Ino."

"Why not? Hinata did." She mumbled into her hands.

"Excuse me?"

Ino raised her head, the look on her face slightly jealous as she stared back at him. "I said Hinata got it both ways. She basically hit the jackpot with you. I mean, you can't spend every waking moment fawning all over her because you're running the village, but you've made sure everyone knows you love Hinata more than anything. You told me more than once that you'd give your life for her. And every night, she gets to sleep next to a smoking hot piece of man-meat like yourself."

Naruto had never considered himself a 'smoking hot piece of man-meat' – and he wasn't sure how to feel about the comment, especially hearing it come from Ino.

"I mean, who wouldn't want to be Hinata? Waking up next to a yummy, half naked…"

"Ino!" he barked, causing her to jump in surprise.

"Are you even listening to yourself? You're still looking at the outside, and thinking it'll match the inside. I'm a little flattered that you think so, but the honest truth is that I'm far from perfect. I'm seriously fucked in the head, Ino – the eight years I was away from the village were filled with horrors and nightmares that were either thrust upon me, or I created myself. Thanks to Hinata, I'm better than when I got to Konoha, but I'm nowhere near where I should be."

"When we were younger, no one wanted to be around me – Sasuke was every girls dream, and you and Sakura were part of a legion of fangirls that loved him because he was smart, and talented, and good looking… never mind that he had the personality of a rock. I wasn't any of those things. I was the dead last, the class clown, and nobody wanted to be around me because of the nine-tailed fox. Hinata was the only one who looked past all that, and saw me for what I truly was, and loved me for it."

He raised his hand and pointed his finger at her accusingly. "You need to stop being so self-centered and superficial. Choji is a great guy and if you're doing this because you're jealous of everyone else, that's the wrong reason and frankly, he deserves better than that."

Ino hung her head, feeling suitably chastised. Naruto was right, and she was doing the same thing she'd always done. It was pretty pathetic, when she thought about it. "Sorry."

Naruto sighed and passed a weary hand in front of his face. "Apology accepted, Ino. And I'm sorry, too – I didn't mean to yell at you. It's one of those things I'm working on – a bad habit I picked up while I was gone. It helps in certain situations, but not when I'm talking to my friends."

"Anyway, before you do anything you should think about what you want. Choji may not be a supermodel, but I know he'll love you and always put you first. But if you're happy just being an afterthought in someone's life or simply looked at as 'convenient', then by all means keep dating the same guys you've been dating. However, if you decide you want to try again with Choji then my advice is just go talk to him. Don't get too possessive or handsy; just let him know how you feel." His sapphire blue eyes twinkled as he smiled at Ino. "After all, when it comes to telling someone how much they mean to you, I've been told that honesty is _always_ the best policy."

* * *

Hikaru was hunched over the desk in his room, sulking at his current predicament. Earlier, he'd been feeling a bit cocky in class and made a stupid, sleep-deprived decision to do the Sexy Jutsu in front of his mom, and now he was paying the price for his bad judgment. She'd grounded him for at least two weeks – after his classes at the academy, he was to come straight home and stay in his room. The only time he could come out was when dinner was served.

Worse, even though he hadn't squealed, he knew his uncle was sure to get in trouble as well. Aunt Hanabi was more pregnant than his mom, and he shuddered to think of what would happen to his Uncle Kono when she found out what he'd taught him.

_Stupid Sexy Jutsu. Stupid boring classes at the academy, he grumbled to himself. It's not my fault that dad and Uncle Sasuke already taught me a lot of that stuff. They made me do it. They knew I'd screw up at some point and use it when I wasn't supposed to..._

The only good part about all this was that he got a chance to do some extra work on the caged bird seal. He only had about three months left before Aunt Tenten gave birth, he was running out of time and there was no way he was going to fail. He'd made a promise to himself that he'd figure out a way to break that thing before she had her baby, and if his dad never went back on a promise, then neither would he.

He just wished he wasn't stuck in a rut – that was the most frustrating part of all. No matter what he tried, he couldn't get all the seals to work together at the same time. Joining more than three of them together meant he had to add six new seals to make it work, which caused another set of problems, which meant more seals to fix that, which meant more problems…

Between that and what happened at the academy today, the whole thing was giving him a monster headache. He was so engrossed in his work, along with wallowing in his own self-pity that he failed to notice the tiny, blonde-haired visitor when she walked into his room.

"Hello, Hikaru-kun."

Hikaru's head snapped up, only to find Reira standing next to him, smiling innocently and rocking back and forth on her feet.

Ever since her birthday party, he'd been avoiding her as much as he could because it seemed she was turning into a stalker, just like his mom was with his dad. Of course, he knew better than to call his mom a stalker, even if it _was_ true. She'd ground him for another six months if he did that.

He eyed her warily. "Hey, Reira."

"Whatcha doing?"

_He glanced down at the papers, and then back up at her. Great. Caught red handed by a six-year old working on an S-rank secret. I can't tell her what it really is; Dad will have my head if I do. I'm gonna have to lie about it._

"It's… It's a school project. Something for extra credit. Lots of it."

"Oh." She looked at the books, scrolls and notes sprawled across his room and over the top of his desk. "It looks really hard."

"Yeah. You could say that." There was a long silence, broken up only by the scratching of a pencil as Hikaru continued to make notes.

"Would you like some company?" Reira finally blurted out. "I mean, I heard what happened at school today from your classmates, and that you got grounded for at least two weeks. I figured you might be lonely, and miss Hinata didn't say you couldn't have any visitors…"

"Umm, I don't know…"

"I promise I'll be real good and keep quiet. Pleeeease?" she begged, giving him the puppy dog eyes he'd come to hate so much. She knew he couldn't say no when she did that!

"Alright, just… try not to bother me. This is really important stuff, and I need to concentrate. Okay?"

"Okay. Thanks, Hikaru-kun!" she exclaimed, smiling brightly before flouncing out of the room. Hikaru wondered where she ran off to, but barely a minute later she came back with a chair and a box of crayons.

"Uh, what are you doing?"

Still smiling, she shrugged and said, "I figured I'd color something. That's quiet and shouldn't bother you, right?"

"Oh. Yeah, sure. I guess that's fine." He said offhandedly, before turning back to his work.

Reira sat down and put several pieces of construction paper on the desk. She glanced at a few of the designs in front of her, and then pulled out some crayons and started scribbling something. Occasionally, she would replace one of the designs with another from the piles on the desk, before going back to whatever she was doing. Hikaru just let her go, since she was keeping her promise of being quiet and not bothering him. What he was working on was far more important, anyway.

After about ten minutes she stopped coloring and thrust something in front of his face. "Here, Hikaru-kun…" she said bashfully, "…this is for you."

Hikaru drew back a bit and glanced at Reira out of the corner of his eye. He noticed a light blush dusting her cheeks, which was weird because he'd never seen her blush before. Confused, he took the piece of paper out of her hand in order to study it. It appeared that Reira had used the seals strewn about his desk to make the outline of a heart. In the center of the outline were the words, 'I think you're special!', and she had dotted the 'I' in the word _special_ with a heart as well.

Disturbing phrase aside, the way she did the fūinjutsu was kind of neat – it looked like she used the same symbols over and over again to surround… the… words…

His eyes went wide as the insight hit him like a lightning bolt. "Where'd you come up with the idea for this?"

"I don't know. I just thought some of these things on your desk would look pretty if I put them together." She said innocently, pointing to a few of the fūinjutsu drawings. "And I made them into the shape of a heart because I… I thought you might like it."

_Stupid Baka! I can't believe I didn't think of this before! Hikaru thought excitedly. I've been going at this all wrong! I've been so focused on either layering the seals, or keeping them in a straight line so that I could break this thing apart at one of those infinity points, that I never thought of simply surrounding the entire thing! That'll solve the problem of getting all the seals to work together, and I can hit the Infinity Loop from all sides. The array will only get more powerful every time I repeat the sequence – at ten times, it just might be strong enough to…_

"This… This is awesome!"

Reira beamed at him. "Do you really like it, Hikaru-kun?"

"Like it? I **LOVE** it!" he exclaimed, as he quickly gathered up his notes, along with Reira's drawing and shoved them into a bag. Grinning broadly, he turned and grasped Reira firmly by her shoulders, causing the smile to vanish from her face.

She stared back at him, her eyes wide with anticipation and just a hint of nervousness. _Is Hikaru-kun going to hug me? I hope so. It would be so nice to get a hug from him…_

He leaned down and gave her a friendly kiss on the cheek. "Thanks, Reira. You just saved me from three months of sleepless nights, and made this the greatest day ever!" He jumped onto the windowsill and crouched there, apparently planning to leave. "I gotta go see the old lady. I'm still supposed to be grounded, so don't tell mom where I went, okay?"

Reira nodded mutely, frozen in shock and unable to form any words at the moment.

"Great! I'll see you later!" He waved his hand in goodbye and leapt out the window, leaving her alone in his room.

Reira blinked owlishly at the now empty window in stunned silence. Her hand slowly rose to touch her cheek; her fingertips brushing lightly where his lips had been only moments before. The spot still tingled with warmth.

"He… He kissed me." She said in bewilderment, staring at the hand that just touched her cheek. A moment later, a euphoric look came over her face and she shouted, _"Hikaru-kun kissed me!"_

Barely a second later, her eyes rolled up in the back of her head… _and she fainted._

* * *

It was pushing eight o'clock at night when Naruto finally walked into his house. Once Ino left his office, he'd thought about going straight home to find out why he'd gotten those conflicting feelings through the seal, but just as he was about to leave Konohamaru showed up, his body shaking and his face ashen.

Apparently, Hanabi had found out that he'd taught Hikaru how to do the Sexy Jutsu and threatened him with a serious amount of bodily harm – showing him a side of his sweet, wonderful, pregnant wife that he didn't know existed. Konohamaru knew that part of her anger was due to her pregnancy – her emotions were like a field of land mines, and one wrong step by him could set off a chain reaction – but the gleam of promised pain in Hanabi's eyes was scary enough that he left without giving an explain or saying a word.

He was hoping he could crash at Naruto's house for a few nights until his wife calmed down and this whole thing blew over – at least that was the plan, until Naruto told him that Hinata was probably the one who told Hanabi, since she'd been in his office earlier and told him how Hikaru had used the Sexy Jutsu in front of his entire class at the academy. At that point he groaned and asked for an extended mission outside of the village…

_"How long were you thinking?"_

_"Oh, I think about six months ought to do it."_

_"There's no way I'm doing that, Konohamaru. Hanabi's due in about three months."_

_"Yeah I know, but you didn't see the look she gave me when I ran out of the house. And as bad as she is now, think about how much worse she'll be when she gives birth – she might rip off parts of my body that I'd rather keep attached. Got any missions that'll keep me out of the village for a year?"_

After his outlandish request, Naruto had firmly told him no missions longer than a week. Also, he wouldn't assign him any missions until tomorrow at the earliest. Tonight, he wanted Konohamaru to go home and give Hanabi an explanation. Konohamaru started to protest but Naruto interrupted him, telling him that he'd known for weeks that Konohamaru taught Hikaru the Sexy Jutsu, along with exactly why he'd done it. Hiashi had given him a very thorough retelling of the pranks he'd pulled over the course of two months – Naruto had actually been somewhat impressed with their childish creativity.

Naruto felt bad for Konohamaru, but he had his own temperamental wife, with his own set of problems. However, he thought they could both use a shot of liquid courage before they went home. So, they went to _The Salty Slug_ for a few hours and had several rounds of drinks. Konohamaru had far too much, reasoning that his wife couldn't hurt him if he was unconscious. After a couple of hours, Naruto dragged him home to a scowling Hanabi and quickly deposited him on the couch, before heading to his own house to deal with Hinata, Hikaru and whatever punishment she'd given him.

But when he walked through the door, he certainly wasn't expecting Hanari to be sitting in a chair waiting for him. And the scowl plastered across her face wasn't very encouraging.

"Naruto, we've got a problem."

He heaved a long and heavy sigh. He'd had enough problems dumped in his lap since getting back to the village today, and he really wasn't in the mood for one more.

"Hanari, I've had a very long day and the only thing I'm interested in doing right now is spending time with my wife. Whatever it is, can you be brief about it?"

She crossed her arms and stared stone-faced at him. "When I got home, I found Reira passed out on the floor of Hikaru's room with a grin plastered across her face. After I woke her up and asked her what happened, she said she got that way because 'Hikaru-kun kissed me.' When I told her I wanted more details than that, she refused and just went to her room, still in a daze. She's probably still in there for all I know."

Naruto groaned. After the way Hikaru had been avoiding Reira as much as possible over the last few weeks, this was the farthest thing from what he would have expected to hear. As a matter of fact, it was so unlikely that he was having a hard time believing it, even though Hanari and Reira had no reason to lie about it.

"And where is Hikaru? He should have been in his room, being punished."

Hanari shook her head. "Reira said her memory is kinda fuzzy after Hikaru kissed her. All she remembers is him leaping out the window because he said he had to go somewhere."

He rubbed his forehead tiredly. Kurama chuckled in the depths of his mind, before making some snide comment about how females who liked to faint seemed to gravitate towards Uzumaki men.

"Alright, I'll deal with this later. Right now, I'd like to see Hinata. Do you know where she is?"

"Yeah, she's waiting for you in the bedroom. She said she had something important to discuss with you, but my money is on her jumping your bones." Hanari chuckled, and a lecherous grin spread across her face. "Want me to set up a silencing jutsu around your room? Or do you think you can handle that before she attacks you like a rabid dog?"

He gave her a deadpan look. "Nothing like that is going to happen, Hanari. I guarantee it." The thought still gave him the willies. Sure, he had needs and desires like any other man who was married to a drop-dead gorgeous wife would, but the pregnancy thing… he figured if they had sex he'd damage the baby somehow. He could see the kid being born with a large dent in the middle of his or her forehead. So far he'd been able to keep his urges in check, but every day it got a little bit harder…

"Okay, fine. I'm taking Reira out for some fresh air while you supposedly don't have any fun with your wife. Maybe it'll clear Reira's mind and she'll stop walking around in a daze, murmuring about how cute Hikaru-kun is. I can't have her going to school tomorrow like that."

Not bothering to dignify that with an answer, he walked into the bedroom and closed the door behind him. Hanari's comment made him extra cautious. Just because he knew nothing was going to happen didn't mean Hinata had her own agenda. She might be wearing some sexy lingerie, or nothing at all – and he didn't feel like leaving the door open if that was the case.

"Hinata?" he called out. "Are you in here?"

Hinata walked out of the sitting area, and to Naruto's great relief she was still wearing the same clothes as when she showed up in his office that afternoon. The look on her face however, gave him pause. It was a mixture of happiness, love, anticipation and anxiety – and after what he felt through the seal on his hand earlier today, he didn't know which one worried him more.

"Hello Naruto-kun," she said warmly, "I've been waiting for you to get home."

"Oh?" he asked warily. Even though she was pregnant, the way her hips moved as she slowly sauntered over to him brought Hanari's comment to the front of his mind. Her arms snaked around his neck and she drew his head down, meeting his lips in a passionate kiss. There wasn't anything lustful about it – Hinata didn't press her lips forcefully against his, and their tongues didn't dance at all. Yet the emotions she poured into the kiss, which were mirrored by the emotions filling his heart through the seal were so powerful they nearly overwhelmed his resolve. One more push, and he probably wouldn't have the strength to resist her anymore.

**_Want me to pull up that memory of your mate from the bikouchu beetle mission again? Or how about a few choice flashbacks from the night of that 'wedding' as you humans call it? Either way, I'm sure they'll be more than enough to…_**

_Knock it off, Kurama! Why do you insist on doing stuff like this at the worst possible time?_

**_I should think you would know the answer to that by now, Naruto. It's because I find enjoyment in watching you squirm. Humans are all the same – they may think they are in control, but when it comes to fighting their baser instincts, they are woefully pathetic and weak…_**

The two of them broke apart, both slightly dizzy after such a powerful kiss. Hinata gazed lovingly into his eyes and asked, "Does my husband know how much I love him?"

"Well, after a kiss like that you left little doubt. Although, I'd have to say I love you more."

Hinata smirked playfully and raised one eyebrow. "Is that so? Well then, I think you'll love me even more after I show you something," she said, taking his hand and leading him gently towards the sitting area. Naruto was still a bit hesitant after what just happened, and his mind was running wild as to what Hinata wanted to 'show him.' They had been slowly converting this part of their bedroom into a nursery; maybe she wanted to show him some new decorations she bought, or a different paint scheme she was trying out… there's just _no way_ she'd think of trying to have sex with him in here…

However, he was a bit surprised and taken aback when he saw that the furniture had now doubled. There were two cribs, two dressers and two changing stations. Everything else remained the same.

"Uh, Hinata? What gives? Did you buy spare furniture in case something breaks?"

She laughed musically. "No, Naruto-kun. I bought them for another reason."

Between the alcohol still swirling in his head, the incredibly passionate kiss Hinata had just given him, and everything that had been dumped on him today since getting back from Suna, Naruto's mind was still in a deep fog. "Oh. Then is there a baby that needs adopting? Maybe someone in the Hyūga clan that can't…"

"Naruto-kun," she interrupted him gently, "we aren't adopting anyone. The furniture is for **_our_** children."

His thought process still moving at a snail's pace, Naruto furrowed his brow in confusion. "Hikaru is way too old for a crib, Hinata. Why would you do something that cruel to him?"

Hinata sighed. Her husband was being unusually dense today. "Maybe I should be more specific, Naruto-kun. This has nothing to do with Hikaru. The furniture is for **_our babies._**" She reached out and took his hand, resting it on her stomach. "Our **_babies_**, Naruto-kun."

Naruto glanced several times between Hinata's eyes and his hand, which she was holding in place over her stomach. It took a few moments for him to actually register what she was trying to say but once he did, he sobered up instantly.

"Hinata-hime," he said, as a look of sheer wonder came over his face, "do… do you mean that…"

"Yes, Naruto-kun. I found out today when Lady Tsunade gave me an examination. I'm having twins. _We're_ having twins. In about six months, you're going to be a father of two children, not one."

"Really?" he asked, grinning happily. "_Really?_"

When she nodded he let out a shout of excitement, picking her up by the waist and spinning her around. She laughed merrily at his antics, overjoyed at her husband's enthusiastic display of love and affection.

"Oh man, this is gonna be great! We're gonna have two babies! **Two!** You're going to be the best mother in the world, and I'm going to be the best father! You can take one, and I'll take the other… you'll have to do the breast feeding on your own of course, but other than that we can split everything else! Dressing them, bathing them – even taking them for walks. Everyone in the village will be so jealous of how cute our kids are…" His grin turned sly as he mischievously said, "…but you're changing all the diapers on your own."

Hinata smirked. "Is that right? And just who made that rule up?"

"I did. I'm the Hokage, and you gotta draw the line somewhere. Mine just happens to be with diapers. The book I borrowed from Sasuke said that stuff is pretty toxic so I'll pass, thank you very much. Maybe you can invent a water jutsu to take care of cleaning them up. By the way, did you tell Hikaru the good news yet?"

Hinata's smirk turned into a scowl. "No, I did not. But we need to have a talk with him when he gets home. I confined him to his room until we could discuss together what his punishment should be, but he disobeyed me and left the house without permission. And have you talked to Freyja? She…"

"Hanari," Naruto said absently.

"What?"

"Hanari. That's Freyja's real name. She told me what it was today. We need to start calling her that."

"Oh. Um, okay. Anyway, Hanari said that she found Reira passed out on the floor of Hikaru's room because he _kissed_ her. Our son is nine years old and Reira is only six, Naruto-kun. They shouldn't be doing anything like that."

"Agreed, but let's get his side of the story before we jump to conclusions. Reira's memory might be a bit… skewed when it comes to our son. And Hikaru wouldn't break his punishment without good reason. He knows how much trouble he'd be in, so…"

Naruto was interrupted by the sound of the front door slamming, followed by a voice calling out to him.

"Dad? Dad, are you here?"

"Speak of the devil," Naruto said, enveloping Hinata in a hug and taking a deep breath. The scent of lavender and cinnamon filled his nostrils as he breathed in, and a sense of calm and contentment came over him. His wife was truly amazing. "After your big announcement, I was thinking we could spend some quality time together in a nice, hot bath but I guess that's not going to happen." He gave Hinata a quick kiss on the lips and said, "Let's go confront our little jailbreaker, and find out why he skipped out on his punishment."

Naruto took Hinata's hand and led her out of the bedroom, a serious look on his face. Even though he was elated about the news he just received, he didn't want to give the false impression that he was happy with Hikaru and his behavior today. As they walked out into the living room they were greeted by their son, who was grinning smugly.

"Alright Hikaru, you have some explaining to do." Naruto said sternly.

"You left your room without permission. You know you're being punished for what you did at the academy today." Hinata said, as she fixed him with a steely gaze. "Where exactly have you been, young man?"

Hikaru didn't wither underneath their disapproving stares, and the grin never left his face as he replied, "I had to go see the old lady about something important."

Hinata crossed her arms in front of her chest. "I doubt you can give a good enough answer to justify why you disobeyed me. What was so important that you just **had** to leave this house?"

Hikaru ignored his mother and stared straight back at his father. "Dad… I got it."

"Got what, Hikaru?" he asked.

"The solution to that problem I've been working on for the last few months. I figured it out!"

"What are you talking about? What solution to what problem?" Hinata asked pointedly. "You're evading…"

"Hinata," Naruto said firmly, "hold on a second."

Stunned that Naruto would interrupt her like that, she watched as he let go of her hand and took a step forward. His look was unusually focused as he stared into the eyes of his son.

"You're sure?"

Hikaru nodded. "I'll need a few more days at the old lady's place to put it all together, but yeah. I'm sure."

"How much?"

"I think I can get it up to a ninety percent survival rate."

Naruto frowned at the number. "You can't get it any higher?"

Hikaru shook his head. "Not in time, no. If I had another six months, maybe… but right now, this is as good as it's gonna get. And don't forget, after this I gotta start working on a replacement for it."

Hinata listened to the exchange between her husband and son with pointed interest, wondering why whatever subject matter they were talking about had been purposely hidden from her. It made her feel like an insignificant afterthought, and it brought to mind her childhood years in the Hyūga clan, where both she and her opinion were considered to be unimportant and irrelevant.

She didn't want that. She wanted to be included in everything. She wanted to feel like a family. Or maybe this was just her pregnancy, messing with her emotions again. She couldn't tell which. "Naruto-kun, what's he talking about?"

"Something extremely important. Hinata, you know I wouldn't normally do this without consulting you first, but I'm suspending Hikaru's punishment, at least for a few days – and we might even lift it depending on what happens." Naruto stared once again at his son. "You think you can have everything ready by Saturday?"

"You bet. That should be enough time for me to get it all together." Hikaru tilted his head in thought for a second and then said, "Hey, why don't we make it a family affair? The old lady should come because she's a good healer, but I think Aunt Hanabi and Mom should also be there. It kinda involves them too, and you can't say this isn't a pretty big deal."

Naruto nodded in agreement. "That's actually a good idea. Hinata, I can tell you're anxious to know what's going on here, but unfortunately you'll have to wait until Saturday to get your answers. But I promise it'll be worth the wait." He turned once again to stare impassively at his son. "But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, I have one more thing to ask you, Hikaru. Reira was found passed out on the floor of your room. She said she got that way because you kissed her. Care to explain?"

* * *

It was Saturday afternoon in Konoha, and Sakura was walking through the market. They were low on groceries, and while she would normally take Mikomi shopping with her, Sasuke had decided to come home early and give her some rare time all to herself.

Of course, she also had an ulterior motive for being here. For weeks, she'd been trying to show everyone in the village that she'd changed… that she was truly sorry about everything she'd done, and realized how much pain and suffering she'd caused in her mad quest to make her dreams a reality. She'd been heavily influenced by advice from her inner voice, but that didn't matter – the decisions she'd made had ultimately been hers. That's what people had seen… and that's what they remembered.

She had extended an olive branch of peace and reconciliation to the villagers, but they weren't so willing to forgive. Because everyone had made incorrect assumptions, Hinata lost her title as heiress and was disowned by the Hyūga clan. For years the villagers blindly followed their lead, treating Hinata and Hikaru like pariahs – all because Sakura had made a point of swearing everyone to secrecy, making sure the truth would probably never be told. Hinata had performed a truly selfless act in caring for Hikaru – the villagers felt duped, and they voiced their anger at her quite frequently.

And the same person who'd been made to suffer unnecessarily was now the Hokage's wife – the most influential woman in all of Konoha. The villagers knew they screwed up, but their pride and embarrassment kept them from voicing the words 'I'm sorry'. So they settled for the next best thing, which was doing anything to help them live with the guilt of how they treated both Hinata and Naruto over the years – and hoping that the Hokage and his wife would leave those memories in the past.

Sakura knew that all these problems were her fault. She had a lot to fix, and it all started with her former teammate, the person who saved her life on a number of occasions – and the man who'd once called her _a friend._ But no matter how bad things got, no matter how long it took, she'd promised Naruto that she'd keep trying until things were better. And that was one promise she vowed to never break.

She just wished people would give her a chance. Every day, with every outright rejection the weight on her shoulders seemed to get a little bit heavier. It was making things difficult, as well as far more stressful in both her personal and professional life.

Sakura sighed, ready to begin her regular routine of rotating among the various stands in the market, making friendly overtures to see if anyone might look at her with anything less than disgust or hatred. If she could put one crack in that wall; change how just one person viewed her then…

She was broken from her musings as she noticed Ino speeding across the rooftops, heading towards the Hokage Monument. The thing that most caught her attention was the look on Ino's face, because she was obviously upset – and crying.

At that point, Sakura decided to abandon her shopping trip. Ino had told her that day at the tea shop that if Naruto gave her a chance, she'd do the same and that made her the closest thing she had to a friend in the village. Ino looked like she needed someone to talk to, and that was more important than what she was doing. Besides, this might be the chance she was looking for – to do something nice for someone, expecting nothing in return, with the simple hope that others might hear about it and not view her with so much hatred and contempt.

She jumped onto the nearest rooftop and took off, following Ino.

* * *

When Sakura finally caught up with her, Ino had her back against one of the older oak trees with her legs curled up to her chest. Her body shuddered and jerked as she cried into her knees. The pain and sorrow in her sobs was palpable, and Sakura's heart went out to her. She landed several yards away and slowly walked over to where Ino was sitting.

"Ino." Sakura called out softly.

The blonde flinched, but otherwise didn't change her position. "W-What d-do you w-want, Forehead?"

"I spotted you running across the rooftops when I was doing some shopping in the market. You were crying then, and it's worse now." Sakura explained. "I just… thought you might want to talk with someone about whatever's wrong and I... I was hoping it could be me."

Although Ino's sobs didn't disappear, they lessened after hearing Sakura's tentative offer. She raised her head from her knees, showing Sakura her eyes which were swollen and red from crying. Tears stained her cheeks and she fiercely wiped them away, like she was embarrassed and angry that they were there.

"Why are you crying? What happened?"

Ino sniffed and wiped her nose with the back of her hand. "I-I went t-to see Choji."

Sakura's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Choji? Why did you go to see Choji?"

"I… I've been thinking a lot lately about the guys I've been dating. None of them have worked out past a few months. There's always something that goes wrong – they all end the same, and I'm not stupid enough that I don't realize it's me that's the problem." Ino took a shaky breath before rolling her eyes in derision. "It's always some lame excuse, like 'it's not you, it's me' or 'I feel like you're more of a friend than a girlfriend.' It's pathetic, they're pathetic and I'm sick and tired of hearing the lies that come out of their mouths."

"Choji… He's the only one who stayed around. He wanted to be with me, even knowing all of my flaws and I stupidly pushed him away. I was so… selfish and stuck up that I couldn't look past the exterior and see what a wonderful person he was… and still is."

Ino sniffed again, and then glanced guiltily at Sakura out of the corner of her eye. "I… I saw Naruto the other day. I wanted to talk with him because he'd tell me what I _needed_ to hear, not what I _wanted_ to hear. He told me that I should take a long, hard look at myself and think about what I really want – some piece of arm candy who goes through girlfriends left and right, or someone who's kind, and sweet, and thoughtful, and… and loves me for me, and not what I look like. And if I was only interested in Choji because he was a 'safe' relationship, I should look elsewhere because he deserves better than that. But if… if I decided it was for the right reasons, I should just go talk to him and tell him how I honestly feel."

Sakura didn't show any outward emotion, but on the inside she was cringing. Naruto had given Ino exactly what she wanted – he'd been blunt, harsh and brutally frank, giving her a pointed lecture about how self-centered she was rather than soothing words of encouragement. The guilt washed over Sakura in waves because she knew Naruto was only like that because of what she did to him all those years ago.

"So I'm guessing when you saw Choji, things didn't go well."

Ino chewed her lower lip and nodded, as tears once again fell down her cheeks. "I… I apologized to him and said how sorry I was for being s-so narcissistic. Then I asked him f-for another chance and… and he t-told me that he couldn't do that b-because he's dating someone from Kumo."

"Choji is dating someone from Kumo?" Sakura asked curiously. "Not that I'm in the loop as much as you, but this is the first I've heard about it."

"H-He said they've been keeping it a s-secret," Ino explained, "since t-there's still people in Kumo that won't approve. Old habits of n‑not trusting the other villages die hard, I guess." She started to sob again, as she buried her head back in her knees.

Sakura cringed inwardly as she heard the heartache in Ino's voice. She'd never seen Ino so choked up and upset over someone else, and when you factor in that the person in question was Choji – who looked nothing like the men Ino had been pursuing the last few years – then it was unexpected and downright bizarre.

The problem was that Sakura didn't know what to say. She wanted to be comforting, but she also didn't want to give Ino false hope that everything would work out in her favor. Also, she knew that if a shinobi didn't have their head in the game when they went out on missions, they could end up severely injured or worse, they could end up dead. This was especially true for someone from the Yamanaka clan. If Ino stayed fixated on Choji it could potentially be dangerous, and she didn't want Ino to get hurt, whether it was physically or emotionally.

"Look, Ino…" Sakura said gently, "…maybe this is a sign. Maybe someone is trying to tell you that… that Choji isn't the one for you."

Ino stopped crying and raised her head to stare at Sakura. "W-What was that?" she asked incredulously.

"I'm just thinking that Choji has… you know, moved on. He's trying to find happiness, and you should too. I know you've had some bad luck lately, but I'm sure there's someone out there who…"

The look on Ino's face quickly shifted from shock to anger. "Shut up, Forehead!" Ino shouted, interrupting her. "You think you're some fucking psychologist now? That you're somehow qualified to know what's best for me?"

Sakura took a deep breath, trying not to take the tone of voice or insults personally because she knew Ino was just lashing out irrationally in anger. She reached out slowly, intending to put a comforting hand on Ino's shoulder. "I'm not saying that at all. I just think Choji shouldn't be your only option, and you can still find happiness if…"

"You're trying to lecture **_me_** about happiness?" Ino screamed furiously at her. "You don't know the first thing about it! All you really know about is causing pain! You punch people when they piss you off. You'll screw anyone over without a second thought, as long as you get what you want in the end. Face it, Forehead – the only thing you've ever been good at is causing other people pain!"

Her face contorted into a mixture of heartache and rage, Ino quickly got to her feet and leapt away, tears streaming down her cheeks once again as she tried to blink them angrily away. Sakura watched her go, her body frozen in shock, her hand still half outstretched. Within moments she was left alone on the Hokage Monument.

Sakura slowly dropped her arm and crawled into the space Ino had just left, sitting in the exact same position. Her eyes stared vacantly straight ahead, and after a few seconds her lower lip began to tremble and a look of unimaginable sorrow came over her face as she realized that once again, despite her best intentions she'd only made things worse.

"Y-You're right, Ino." Sakura sobbed uncontrollably, burying her face in her knees. For once, she was happy that she was alone, so no one could hear or see her crying. "No m-matter how hard I t-try, all I-I know h-how to do is c-cause other people pain."

* * *

_Knock, knock, knock._

"Neji-kun, can you get the front door? I'm in the middle of cooking dinner." Tenten called from the kitchen.

"It's almost five thirty." Neji said, glancing at the clock. "Are you expecting anyone to join us?"

"I didn't invite anyone over, so no. Just get the door and find out who it is!"

_Three more months, Neji grumbled silently to himself, just three more months until the baby is born and the mood swings will stop. Maybe then she'll stop sleeping with a kunai under her pillow._

He opened the door, and was shocked to see Naruto, Hinata, Hanabi, Tsunade and Hikaru standing in front of him.

"Um…Hello everyone," Neji said hesitantly. "Tenten and I weren't expecting such a large gathering of people. Have you come to join us for dinner?" He glanced guiltily to the left and right, before leaning in and whispering, "Although if that's the case, I'd recommend eating elsewhere. Tenten's cooking has been downright frightening lately."

"I heard that, Neji!" Tenten shouted from deep inside the house.

He grumbled softly. If he didn't know better, he'd swear Tenten was part Inuzuka. Her hearing sensitivity had gone off the charts ever since she'd gotten pregnant.

"Nii-san, we didn't come here for dinner. Naruto-kun insisted that Hanabi and I come with him, Hikaru and Lady Tsunade here tonight," Hinata told him, "but he still hasn't told us the reason why."

"We're actually here for something important, Neji." Naruto explained. "Can we all come in? What we have to talk about is rather sensitive information, and I'd rather not discuss it out in the open."

Neji furrowed his brow, wondering what could be so important that could merit members of his family, along with one former Hokage coming to his house unannounced. His curiosity got the better of him and after a moment he stepped aside, gesturing for everyone to enter.

Just as they were all sitting down in the living room, Tenten came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a dish cloth. Her face mirrored the same surprised expression Neji had worn just minutes earlier.

"Wow. I thought I heard Neji say something about a bunch of people being at our front door, but I wasn't expecting this." Tenten said, a bit puzzled at the gathering before her. "What brings you all here tonight? According to my husband, it certainly can't be my cooking." She finished, casting a sidelong glance at Neji, causing him to wince slightly.

"In all honesty Tenten, the reason why we're all here is because of Hikaru." Naruto said proudly, clapping his son on the shoulder. "So I think I'll let him run the meeting."

Hikaru beamed at his father, thanking him for the honor. "Uncle Neji," he said, smiling coyly, "how would you like to be the new head of the Hyūga clan?"

Hinata, Hanabi, Neji and Tenten stared dumbfounded at Hikaru, shocked that he'd say something so outlandish.

"I'd like to know why you're asking that question Hikaru, because you know that's not possible. Members of the branch house cannot lead the clan, and as long as I'm branded with the caged bird seal, I will remain there." Neji slumped his shoulders, suddenly appearing very tired and defeated. He reached out and placed a hand on Tenten's stomach, and she placed her hand over his protectively. "It is something I cannot escape, and I fear my child will share the same fate."

Upon hearing this, Hikaru reached into the bag slung over his shoulder. He pulled out a brush and a bottle of chakra ink, placing them on table in front of him. Then he pulled out a large, rolled up piece of paper and spread it out across the top. Neji, Tenten, Hinata and Hanabi stared in fascination as there, laid out in front of them was a large scale drawing of the caged bird seal, with another intricate, more complicated seal completely surrounding it.

"Well, in that case Uncle Neji," Hikaru said slyly, "how'd you like to be free from the caged bird seal?"

* * *

A/N: Well, now - I hope that this helps the story advance a bit, and gives everyone a sense that things will start to move forward at a more brisk pace. I also want everyone to know that the next chapter will be a bit delayed, as I received a partial chapter from **gigiree123** that really needs some help, so I'll be working on that for a week or two before I get back to my own writing.

I'm personally thanking both him, and **Hendrixson** for making good on my call-outs for beta work from the last two chapters. I'm two for two! Now, if I can get **xHinaLovex** to update her story, I'll have gotten my Christmas gift early.

So there was a lot that happened this chapter! And also, before I get reviews on it I just want to say that Hikaru's explanation of the supposed 'kiss' with Reira was purposely left out. I thought it might be better to leave how that went to everyone's individual imagination. A little interaction from my readers makes for a more compelling story, don't you think?

I would also like to say that the idea for Chakra Interlacing is related very, very loosely to the 7th Sense technique **Third Fang** uses in his epic masterpiece **Yet Again With a Little Extra Help** and the follow-on, **Take Two Round Two**. I honestly didn't see the similarities until after I read his story once again over the last few weeks during bedtime, and even though I thought of Chakra Interlacing all on my own way before this I still feel that his idea, along with his story should get recognition. I'm all about credit where credit is due, and if you haven't read his stuff yet, you should. It's pure epic awesomeness. I AM A LOG WORSHIPPER!

Now, what's coming next? Well obviously, the caged bird seal gets removed. Neji takes over the Hyuga clan, Naruto gets involved with the whole thing and there's further development with the other Kage. Two big fights are coming up - I'll leave you to guess what they are, but I will say that it has nothing to do with the Mienai Segi. Kakashi and Hanari make progress in their relationship. And of course, Sakura has more issues.

Now, here's the thing. Several chapters ago, I got an idea from **Hektols** on what to do with Choji and Ino and it was about 80% accurate to what happened in the manga. So I tweaked it a bit and put it in the story, but since I like input from my readers, I'm putting a poll up on my profile page. The question is simple:

_Who would you prefer Choji end up with? Ino? Or Karui?_

Your answers will determine what happens in the story, so please take 5 seconds to head over to my profile page and vote on this one. The manga aside, I'd like to see what you, my loyal readers think.

**_Recommendation time!_** Well, with Naruto officially at an end I was thinking about the last color page of chapter 700, where it shows skyscrapers in the background, as well as the page where it shows Naruto using a laptop computer. That suggests to me a more modern feel for where things are going for any future spinoffs, and it brought to mind a story I've been following for some time now.

The story is **You Must Believe In Spring** by **Giada Luna.** It takes a slightly different approach on the Naruto Universe, where things are in a much more modern setting. It's a fantastic piece of writing, the plot and flow of the story is top notch and I think people will enjoy it. I urge you to give it a chance, even though it's a bit different. So once again if you're curious, head over there and check it out. I urge you to leave a review and put the story on your favorite/following list.

Here's the link, as usual remove the spaces and you know what to replace the stars with:

www . fanfiction . *** / s / 10276498

**REVIEWS!** So, fifty five reviews for last chapter. Guess you guys didn't like that as much as Chapter 27 - but I'll still take it. As I say every chapter, I'm extremely greedy for reviews. Writers love them, they motivate us to keep going and help us get better. I've had a huge jump in my numbers for Favorites and Followers this past chapter, and I'm very grateful to everyone who put me on their lists.

I'm hoping that with the subject matter in this chapter, and how it got away from the Mienai Segi for a bit and centered more around the Konoha folk that I can get some more reviews than last chapter. I'm begging and pleading with you guys that you take a minute and leave me a review. I like the long ones but even something like "great stuff!" would be good to see. An early Christmas present would be if I hit 1525 for reviews. Let's see if we can make that happen!

That's all for now. Take care and stay safe.

Serious Sam


	30. Ch 29: Freedom

29\. Freedom

**_Victory! Victory for Zim!_**

Okay! Chapter 29 for my loyal readers. I'm sorry for the delay in getting this out to you, but as I mentioned I did beta work for some other authors I've promoted in my story and all in all, I completed beta work for ten chapters. That's right, you read correctly – ten chapters. After that, I busted this chapter out in 3 weeks. So I have a good reason for this one taking longer than usual.

As I always do, I'd like to thank **Titokhan** for his help and support. And a very heartfelt thanks to **Chewie Cookies** **_–_** you know the reason why.

I would also like to give a big shout-out this chapter to **MattWilson83**, who took time out of his busy schedule doing graphic work on **NaruHina Chronicles** to converse with me on several occasions regarding ideas and flow for this chapter. His input was beyond helpful and I can't thank him enough.

_And now, on to credit where credit is due:_

**TheMachine5499:** Your idea about what happens in the fight between Guy and Hanari (Freyja) is used here. Thanks!

**willie94:** I didn't give you proper credit last chapter for your idea regarding Hinata and the twins, so here it is. The rest of your idea will come later. Thank you!

**Hektols:** I'm going to use your last idea regarding Ino. Appreciate the thought.

**MattWilson83:** There's really just too much to mention here. Let's just say he gets credit for a ton of ideas coming up in the story. Check out his deviantArt account if you want to read some killer stuff. It's the cure for anyone who needs a NaruHina fix in between chapter releases for the stories they're following.

I would also like to thank **Guarani Lioness** and **DaManKaliel** for leaving me a review for every chapter I've written so far. I really appreciate the time and effort it took to do this. Looking forward to what you write for this one.

_So, here's some story shout-outs…reviews are always appreciated for these authors and their works:_

**Naruto – Path to the Future** by **OGAFazer89AC:** I did beta work on the last chapter for this story, and I'll be doing the next chapter as well. I'm making this one of my little pet projects because this story is so good, and I can't understand why it doesn't have more followers or reviews than it does. I really want to see those numbers increase, so _as a personal favor to me, please get on over there and check it out._

**Sanctuary of the Wounded** by **weirdismyname**: Once again, beta work for a couple of chapters. You may remember her last story, _Beyond an Heiress' Purpose_ which I recommended and loved. This one is starting to pick up steam where Naruto just got reunited with Hinata.

**Rise of Ryujin** by **Arcana37210:** A chapter of beta work here as well. This is a different take on Naruto where he becomes a dragon (of sorts). Chapters are insanely long but the story is very detailed and well written.

**For the Love of the Hokage** by **Hendrixson:** Did beta work on his last two chapters. This is one of my favorite stories right now, and I've offered to do beta work on them going forward if he needs it. Probably one of the more honest, heartfelt stories I've seen where the focus is about ninety percent on our favorite couple. I can't get enough of it. _Please, do yourself a favor and give this one a read and leave a review because the author deserves it._

**Our Ninja Way** by **justretribution:** I've recommended this story before, the author just updated and he's set himself with a personal goal of trying to hit 1,000 reviews. He's at about 750 right now and I'm asking my readers to help him out. The story is outrageously awesome and if you haven't read it by now, you should. _Leave a review for every chapter if you can!_

_Last of all, a quick response to a couple of reviews I received:_

**Bob (Guest):** Dude, I don't know where you got the idea for chapters 9 and 16 that Naruto had a giant penis. I said he was 'large', not part horse. Everyone's interpretation is different I guess, but bear in mind from my perspective 'large' means above average (like 9 inches or so). Otherwise, I appreciate the reviews and what you said about the rest of my story.

And now, the disclaimer. In honor of all the help MattWilson83 gave me, I decided to go with a very old British show for this one. It aired in the late 80's for all of 3 years, but some of the moments were pretty damn hilarious. (Reading it with a British accent really helps!)

**_Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto. But everyone, hands up – who likes me?_**

**_Vivyan – No one likes you. Because you're a complete bastard._**

**_Disclaimer – I'm being serious._**

**_Vivyan – So am I. You're a complete bastard._**

**_Disclaimer – I find that very hard to believe._**

**_Vivyan – You wanna bet on it? I'll put down a fiver._**

**_Disclaimer – Right, that's it. I'm going to kill myself. You'll all be sorry when I'm gone!_**

**_Vivyan – No, we won't._**

**_Disclaimer – Fine! Ha! See this? [Grabs a large bottle of pills from the top of the refrigerator, shows it to everyone and starts stuffing pills into his mouth by the handful.]_**

**_Neil – Hey Vivyan, uh, can you like, actually kill yourself by overdosing on laxative pills?_**

**_Vivyan – I don't know, Neil. But I'm gonna stay and find out! (+1 if you get the reference)._**

* * *

Chapter 29 – Freedom

"Well, in that case Uncle Neji, how'd you like to be free from the caged bird seal?"

Neji leaned in closer to the drawing, eager to get a better look. He extended his fingertips and traced part of the caged bird seal, before moving on to the intricate group of seals surrounding it. He wondered if what he was staring at could possibly be real… a solution to the curse that the branch House had been living under for years, and freedom for his child.

Hinata and Hanabi watched Neji as he stared at the drawing. Even though technically Neji was their cousin, both women had come to think of him as their brother over the years – especially after the incident in the chūnin exams where Naruto knocked some sense into him. After that, while his duty of protecting the Royal family remained the same, his attitude towards doing that changed. He viewed it less as an obligation, and more of a… _choice._

He knew his position in the clan would probably never change, despite Naruto's promise to him and yet, right in front of them was the fulfillment of that promise. For the branch family, Neji and more specifically his baby… it was _freedom._ And it seemed almost too good to be true.

"Hikaru," Neji asked, his voice full of tentative hope, "where did you get this?"

A smug grin broke out on the young boy's face. "I made it, Uncle Neji."

Three heads snapped around to look at him. "**_You_** made this, Hikaru?" Hanabi asked, pointing at the drawing.

"I sure did, Aunt Hanabi," He said proudly, nodding his head vigorously, "but to be honest I had some help. The first month or so I worked on it all on my own, but then dad helped me out for a month before he set me up with the old lady here." He finished, motioning his head towards Tsunade.

Tenten glanced disbelievingly between Hikaru and Tsunade. "He calls you old lady?"

"He's the only one who gets to do that, so don't get any ideas. Any of you." Tsunade said flatly, narrowing her eyes dangerously as she looked around at the group, before coming to rest on Naruto.

"I think Hikaru's giving us too much credit." He said, taking the hint from Tsunade and picking up the conversation. "I'd say Tsunade and I helped with about twenty-five percent of it, but the rest was all him."

"You knew about this, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked inquisitively, the tone of her voice slightly hurt, "And you didn't tell me? Don't you trust me?"

"Ah… It's not that I didn't trust you, Hinata-hime – I just didn't want you to get your hopes up. I mean, if I'd told you what Hikaru was working on, you'd have worried yourself sick every night, wondering if he'd made any progress at all and you and I both know that stress isn't good during a pregnancy. And then what would have happened if we found out Hikaru couldn't do it?" Naruto asked, rubbing the back of his head abashedly. "You'd be devastated because let's face it, no matter how you look at this it's a VERY big deal. Plus, can you imagine if the elders who don't want the branch family freed found out somehow that Hikaru was trying to break the caged bird seal?"

Hinata and Hanabi blanched. They knew very well what would happen; Hikaru would be dead and they'd make it look like an accident. Everyone would know they were responsible but without proof, there would be nothing they could do within the confines of the law.

That wouldn't stop Naruto, of course. If he had to, he'd declare an all-out war on the Hyūga clan as retribution for such an act and in all honesty, going up against one of the most powerful ninja in the world, with the full power of the Nine-Tailed Fox at his disposal, the clan would lose – _very badly._

"Hikaru," Neji asked once again, "where did you get this?"

"Umm, weren't you listening before, Uncle Neji? I told you I made it."

"No. I'm talking about this, specifically." Neji said, pointing at the caged bird seal drawing. "Where did you get **_this?_** Because I thought the knowledge of the composition of the caged bird seal has been lost for over a century."

Hikaru's eyes grew wide with shock as he realized the implication of what Neji was asking. His head whipped around and he stared pleadingly at his father, silently asking for help.

"Sorry Hikaru… you've been around them long enough to know that this is what happens when you deal with the Hyūga clan." Naruto replied, a smirk appearing on his face. "They're not idiots, they don't miss details and they'll know if you're lying to them. You've pretty much backed yourself into a corner, so my advice is to just tell the truth and come clean."

Hikaru swallowed heavily and looked at the three Hyūga in the room, who were all staring pointedly at him with Byakugan eyes. It was bad enough when his mother did it, but a sight like this – especially with two of them moody and pregnant – was very unnerving to someone who was only weeks away from turning nine years old.

"Um…" he started, fidgeting nervously, "I… I kind of… stolethecagedbirdsealbrand."

"You did **_what?_**" Hinata demanded, her voice rising several octaves. "You stole from your grandfather? _From the clan?_ When exactly did you do that?"

"It was like a week or so before dad got back from his mission. But it was the only way I could get a good look at the seal without asking anyone else in the branch family! I… I wanted this to be a surprise for Uncle Neji and Aunt Tenten, and there was really no one else I could trust to ask. So I stole the brand and put it under a microscope to see all the seals that made it up."

"Well, I'm still a bit confused," Tenten said, while rubbing her belly comfortingly. "Since when are you so good with fūinjutsu? I mean, I know Naruto and a few others are pretty good, but what you're talking about is something that even Jiraiya couldn't crack, and he was the last seal master this village had."

"I can answer that one." Naruto said. "You remember when Sasuke and I were gone from the village for two months?" Everyone but Tsunade and Hikaru nodded back at him. "Well, I asked Kakashi to train Hinata and Hikaru while I was gone and sometime during those sessions Hikaru took an interest in fūinjutsu. Kakashi had a hunch and secretly had him tested for a variety of things – one of which was a DNA test. The results that came back showed that somehow, my mother's genes pretty much overrode everything else."

"And before anyone asks, I can tell you it's very rare that something like that occurs." Tsunade added. "It happens more often when a Kekkei Genkai is involved, like the Byakugan or Sharingan because they're extremely dominant traits, but in this case the Uzumaki bloodline is what I call a passive dominant gene. They have enhanced healing abilities, large pools of chakra, increased stamina and a natural talent for fūinjutsu, but there's really nothing physical that shows."

"So yeah, to sum it up Hikaru is a true Uzumaki." Naruto finished. "He got his red hair, along with everything else from my mom, Kushina. Oh, and before you ask Hinata, the tests also showed that Hikaru has a primary affinity for wind, and at the time they were done his chakra reserves were 812."

While he'd told Hikaru's class about his chakra affinity, Naruto hadn't divulged the level of his reserves to anyone since Kakashi showed him the test results – mainly because no one ever asked. So it came as a surprise to everyone present, and they stared at Hikaru with respect and a little bit of awe.

"Okay, wait a minute." Tenten said, furrowing her brow. "I get the part about Hikaru being an Uzumaki and all, but the rest doesn't make any sense. How in the world was he able to sneak into the Hyūga compound and steal the brand? That place is guarded 'round the clock, and every one of them has the Byakugan. Maybe an elite ANBU could get in there undetected, but there's no way they wouldn't see an eight year old boy."

There was an introspective pause as everyone but Naruto and Hikaru thought about Tenten's comment – and those two silently made the decision to keep their mouths shut, because it probably wouldn't make any difference if they said something.

"That's because they didn't see an eight year old boy," Hanabi said as she stared accusingly at Hikaru, "they saw a well-proportioned, **_very_** naked female running around the compound. Am I right?"

Ten pairs of eyes fixed on Hikaru, who began to squirm underneath their disapproving glares. Hinata mirrored her sister's actions and crossed her arms in front of her chest, signifying she was just as cross with him as Hanabi was.

"Is that why you had Konohamaru teach you the Sexy Jutsu, young man? So that you could sneak into the compound and steal the caged bird seal brand?"

"No! No it wasn't!" Hikaru shouted back defensively, before lowering his tone of voice and looking pleadingly at his mother. "Well, not at first it wasn't. I… Um, I mean… Do you remember that day when Ojii-san came to visit us at the house while dad was gone on his mission?"

Hinata nodded mutely.

"I know you figured out from the note I left you that I heard the whole thing – especially the part about how he didn't consider me family, or you to be my mom because… well, you know, the birth thing…"

Hinata nodded again. Sakura was still a sore subject with them both, and despite her recent efforts around the village, forgiveness from both Hinata and Hikaru for what she did would be a long time coming, if ever.

"He also treated us pretty bad while we lived at the Hyūga estate. And between the stories from you, Aunt Hanabi and Uncle Neji, I know he pretty much was the same while you were growing up. So, I… I went to see Uncle Kono because the old lady here," He gestured towards Tsunade, "told me once that he was dad's unofficial top student when they were younger – including the prank department. So I asked him to help me do the same thing to Ojii-san and he said he'd love to. Then he taught me the Sexy Jutsu and we started pulling pranks on him, until he decided to be less of a jerk and change his mind about me."

There was another moment of silence as everyone digested the explanation Hikaru had just given. Hinata's disapproving gaze appeared to soften a bit while Naruto, Tsunade and Tenten's mouths were twitching, as they tried to keep from breaking out in laugher.

As for herself, Hanabi privately felt a twinge of guilt over hearing this. When Konohamaru had woken up with a severe hangover the next day, he'd tried to explain the reasons behind why he'd taught Hikaru the Sexy Jutsu. Hanabi had quickly shut him down, not wanting to hear any part of it because she felt no explanation would be sufficient. He'd left that afternoon for some week long mission Naruto had given him, and while she still wasn't happy that Konohamaru had done it, she realized she'd been far too hard on him and privately owed him an apology for acting as harshly as she did.

_Besides, she reasoned to herself, father probably had it coming at some point in his life anyway. Better it be Hikaru than someone dangerous…_

However, Neji was staring at Hikaru, eyes wide in realization. "So all those pranks Kō told me about that were happening to Uncle a few months ago – those were all _your_ doing?"

"Yeah, they were."

"The hot sauce in his underwear? Tora strung out on catnip running through his office on a rampage? The robes stitched together with thread that coincidentally fell apart at the village council meeting?"

"Well, Uncle Kono thought up the ideas but I'm the one who did them. The Sexy Jutsu just made sure that anyone who saw me got bloody noses and passed out, but when they started putting women in the patrols I knew I had to get better at hiding myself. So I asked Hokage-sensei for some stealth training, since he's pretty much a legend in the ANBU for that stuff. He never knew what it was for, but I must have done a pretty good job learning it because no one ever caught me. It wasn't until almost three weeks in that I decided to steal the brand and try to find a way to break the caged bird seal."

Even with the help of the Sexy Jutsu, Neji found it hard to believe that a mere child had been able to evade the entirety of the Hyūga clan for almost two months. Granted, the boy's potential had really begun to blossom once Naruto came into his life, but he still should've been caught at some point. Hikaru must have unknowingly had some inside help – he wondered if Kō knew anything about it.

_But that still left one _**_very_**_ important question unanswered…_

"Hikaru – if I'm adding this up correctly, you've been working on this in secret for the last four months. Correct?"

"Yeah, I have."

"How often?"

Hikaru shrugged. "After getting out of the academy, I'd usually come straight home and work on it for about three hours, give or take. There were a few times on the weekends when I'd work on it all day, when mom didn't give me anything to do, like watching Reira. I got some good training in with dad and Uncle Sasuke around the work I did, to throw everyone off."

_So this was a major investment in his time and effort, Neji thought, but that still doesn't answer my question._

"But… why?"

Hikaru stared confusedly at him. "Why what, Uncle Neji?"

"Why would you give so much, Hikaru? Please don't misunderstand me – I'm grateful beyond measure, but this…" He waved his hand at the drawing, "…this was a huge commitment. You sacrificed nights, weekends, time with your friends and more than likely a good amount of sleep to make this happen. I'd… just like to know why you did it."

Hikaru took a deep breath and sighed. "Look Uncle Neji, I'm… I'm not stupid." He began, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck in a manner much like his father. "I lived all those years in the Hyūga compound, and I know what it means when someone in the branch family has a baby. It gets branded, plain and simple."

"When mom came back from that village with me, the clan disowned her within a month. You…" He pointed his finger at Neji, "…gave us a place to stay in the Hyūga compound when everyone else wanted to kick us out. Even after you married Aunt Tenten, the two of you still took care of us when it wasn't your responsibility, and really didn't have to. You helped us out with money. You bought us food. You gave us both a warm bed to sleep in."

"I wanted to do something to pay you back." Hikaru said, looking away in embarrassment, "So when I realized how good I was at fūinjutsu, I got the idea that I might be able to find a way to get rid of the caged bird seal. I… I made a promise that day to myself that no matter what it took, I'd find a way to free you, and keep your baby from getting branded. But when dad told me about his idea, and what he said to you in the chūnin exams a long time ago, it was even more important to keep my promise."

"And what idea is that, Naruto?" Hanabi asked, quirking an eyebrow in curiosity.

Naruto frowned. He'd purposely been trying to keep the focus on Hikaru, and the intense amount of work and effort he'd done but now, he felt that by telling everyone about the agreement, he was stealing part of the glory from his son. And dismissing it wouldn't be good either, based on the steely gaze the three pregnant women in the room were fixating on him. Just like he'd told Hikaru, coming clean was his best option here.

"Well, over the last few months I've had several talks with Hiashi – the first one happened about a week or so after I found out you were pregnant, Hinata. Basically, I told him it was pretty obvious that dealing with the elders was wearing on him, and I wondered if he'd consider retiring. No offense to you Hanabi, but I made the argument that if Hiashi was truly interested in uniting the clan, then Neji should be the next clan head. The branch family trusts him because he's one of them, he's at least as qualified as you to run the clan and the first thing he'd do is outlaw the use of the caged bird seal. It'd also make doubly sure that any children he and Tenten have will never get branded."

After a few moments of silence Hinata asked, "And… And what did father say after that, Naruto-kun?"

"At first he was a bit hesitant, but not for the reasons you might think. He knows he screwed up with how he treated you, Hinata – the conversation that day at the house while I was gone proves it and besides that I laid into him, telling him that it was no secret around the village that he did a pretty shitty job as a father while you and Hanabi were growing up."

His eyes darted between Tenten, Hanabi and Hinata. "He wants another chance – a chance with his grandchildren to be the person he should have been all those years ago before your mother's death changed him. That's why he's been spending so much time with all of you lately – he's trying to repair the relationship he has with you, hoping that you'll let him be a bigger part of his grandchildren's lives."

"By retiring, he'd be able to do that but he didn't think it'd work because Neji is still branded, so why would he even bother nominating him in the first place? I told him this was the perfect opportunity because the elders who were against uniting the houses would approve the agreement out of sheer overconfidence, thinking it'd never happen. I also told him to add a clause that if nothing changes in regards to Neji being free from the caged bird seal within a year then Hanabi would take over as clan head."

Naruto paused here and then grinned broadly. "Hiashi had the agreement drawn up and after dangling the carrot of Hanabi taking over – because they thought Neji had no chance – the elders approved it but decided to keep it a secret, probably because they didn't want the branch family to have even a glimmer of hope that Neji might lead the clan someday. Hiashi also made sure that Hanabi wouldn't know about it until after she had her baby, because he didn't want her to have any unnecessary stress during her pregnancy."

Naruto extended a closed fist in Neji's direction. "Remember this gesture from the chūnin exams? When the two of us fought, I swore that when I became Hokage I'd find a way to get rid of the caged bird seal, and everyone here knows that I never go back on my word, because that's my nindō. Now, because of Hikaru we not only have a way to do that, but protect your baby and put you in charge of the clan as well. You'll be in a position to accomplish everything you've ever wanted – all you have to do is let Hikaru get that thing off your forehead and take the job."

With the exception of Tsunade, because she knew about his scheme to put Neji in charge of the Hyūga clan, everyone else stared dumbfounded at Naruto and Hikaru. Neji appeared to be on an entirely different level of disbelief – this was more than he could have ever dreamed of and here it was, being presented to him within only a few months of him becoming a father, with no conditions or strings attached. It was a truly priceless gift that Naruto and Hikaru were giving him.

Apparently Tenten thought so too, because her eyes filled with tears and she walked over to stand in front of Hikaru. She reached down and placed her hands on his cheeks, drawing him to a standing position. Hikaru stared nervously back at her, wondering what she was going to do next.

"So you mean to tell me that you did all this – worked tirelessly for four months straight, keeping this entire thing a secret and even doing training on the side just to throw everyone off – without wanting anything in return? Just to free Neji from the caged bird seal? And save our baby?"

"Er, yeah." He was starting to feel a bit uncomfortable. "That's pretty much it." Being around emotional women made him leery, and that was probably because over the last several months, Reira used them on him to her advantage all the time.

She blinked, and the tears that filled her eyes fell down her cheeks. A warm smile, filled with happiness and joy broke out on her face and she swiftly pulled Hikaru into a fierce, yet awkward hug.

"Thank you, Hikaru," she said gratefully, "thank you so much for this. You… You have no idea how much this means to the branch family. To Neji and me. And to our baby."

"Umm, don't thank me just yet, Aunt Tenten." The hug was awkward enough, since he was pressed up against her swollen belly and he could feel the baby kicking, like he or she was thanking him as well. He knew it was a completely natural thing, but it still creeped him out. "I should probably tell you the seal I made up isn't perfect. I tried as best as I could, but it's only got about an eighty-five percent chance that it'll work."

"Eighty-five percent?" Hanabi clearly wasn't satisfied with the number. "Why are you showing us something that has only an eighty-five percent chance of working?"

"Because there's not enough time for me to figure something out before the baby is born. You see…"

Hikaru then went into a detailed explanation of the workings of the caged bird seal, pointing out each piece on the drawing and what its purpose was. By the time he finished Hinata, Hanabi, Neji and Tenten were beyond impressed, since he'd found out more in four months about the caged bird seal than anyone else had in over a hundred years.

"The seal amplifies whatever chakra is stored in it when someone activates it. Every time it passes through the loop it gets stronger and stronger – so basically it drills through someone's brain with an overload of chakra." He pointed to the drawing on the table in front of them. "There's a modified vacuum seal built into what I made that'll suck the chakra out of the caged bird seal, and I repeated the pattern ten times to make it strong enough to handle almost any level of chakra the caged bird seal was made with. I can't use any more, because then the seal will be too big to fit on Uncle Neji's forehead. But the big problem I have is that I don't know how much chakra went into making the one on Uncle Neji's forehead. If the person who did it used a lot, then the vacuum seal I made won't have enough time to work before it fries his brain."

"Can't you just shut it down before that happens?" Hanabi asked.

Hikaru shook his head. "No. When I turn my seal on, it'll hit the caged bird seal and break about twenty of the symbols that make it up. I'll need that many openings to get the chakra out, but the caged bird seal has a failsafe built into it. If someone tampers with it, then…"

"It activates, and won't stop until that person is dead." Neji said grimly, interrupting him. "My grandfather – Hizashi and Hiashi's father – is the one who placed the seal on me, and he's been dead for five years. We have no way of knowing how much chakra he infused into the seal on my forehead, but to me it doesn't matter." He stared soberly at Hikaru. "It sounds like you've accounted for everything except the most extreme conditions. Even though you can't guarantee that it'll work, the odds are heavily in my favor and I'm willing to take that chance."

"Neji-kun? Are you sure?" Tenten wrung her hands nervously in front of her swollen stomach, and everyone could hear the panic in her voice. "If this doesn't work, then…"

With his left hand, Neji reached out and gently stopped hers while his right hand came up to lovingly caress her cheek. More tears spilled from her eyes and she closed them, leaning into his touch as her lower lip trembled with fright over the thought that he might die.

"I have to do this, Ten-chan. I won't waste this precious gift that Naruto, Lady Tsunade and Hikaru have given us. For the clan, the branch family, our baby and for future generations of Hyūga children, I'll do whatever it takes to ensure that everyone will be free."

She opened her eyes and looked pleadingly at him, but his expression was determined and unyielding. She knew right away that he wasn't going to change his mind, no matter what was said. She nodded, reluctantly accepting his choice.

He nodded back and released her hands so that he could undo the knot that secured his hitai-ate in place. The caged bird seal seemed to stare angrily back at everyone in the room – ugly, black and prominent against the paleness of his Hyūga skin.

Neji stared confidently at Hikaru. Despite the fact that there was a slim possibility that he might not survive what was coming, he appeared unafraid. "I have faith in you and Lady Tsunade, Hikaru. And I know you will do everything in your power to ensure I survive whatever will happen. Now tell me what I need to do."

Hikaru took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. Having someone's life in your hands was nerve-racking, no matter how you looked at it. He wondered how Tsunade did it all the time with patients at the hospital.

He pointed towards the couch. "Just lie down there Uncle Neji. It's gonna take a while for me to write my seal on your forehead, but try and remain still so that I don't make any mistakes with the kanji. But while I'm doing it, you should probably prepare yourself because when we're ready to go, I'm gonna have to activate the caged bird seal, and I'm sure you know that's gonna hurt. A lot."

* * *

It was close to nine o'clock when Naruto, Hinata and Hikaru walked through the front door of their house. Well, Hikaru didn't walk – Naruto was carrying him on his back because he'd passed out from exhaustion. Not a sound could be heard, meaning that Hanari and Reira were already asleep, or they were out with Kakashi. Either way, it was probably a good thing because it had been an eventful, and for Hikaru a very exhausting night.

He couldn't write small enough on Neji's forehead with the brush and chakra ink he'd brought along, so he'd been forced to use chakra writing instead. For someone like his mother or father it wouldn't have been a problem, but since he was still just shy of nine years old and didn't have the reserves they did, the task had drained him considerably. He'd refused help from Tsunade afterwards, saying he was perfectly fine even though everyone else knew he was lying when he fell asleep five minutes later.

Neji had survived, although the experience was excruciating because the seal had been placed with a larger than average amount of chakra. It had taken about a minute longer than they'd hoped and Hinata, Hanabi and Tenten's hearts broke for Neji as he screamed out in pain, but in the end Hikaru's seal worked and the caged bird seal was gone from his forehead. A very faint scar was left on his skin from where the seal had been, but Tsunade said she could make that almost indistinguishable once he recovered.

Tsunade checked him over afterwards and said that he'd be fine in about a week. She ordered Tenten to keep him away from the hospital, unless she had no choice but to bring him there – this was still an S-rank secret after all. But either her or Shizune would come by frequently during that time and check up on his health.

"How about we get our little hero up to bed, and then get some sleep ourselves?" Naruto asked, giving his wife a crooked smile. "Not that I'm as exhausted as Hikaru, but cuddling with my wife sounds like a great way to end the day."

Hinata smiled in return, briefly resting her hand with the amalgamation seal on his arm. She could feel his love for her radiating through it, and it warmed her heart. "I think that's a wonderful idea, Naruto-kun."

They walked quietly up the stairs and into Hikaru's bedroom. Naruto gently laid him down on the bed, before covering him up and tucking him in. It appeared to be the right gesture, because within only a few seconds he began snoring loudly and drooling out of the side of his mouth.

_Just like his father, Hinata thought absently._

They tiptoed quietly out of the room, closing the door behind them until it made a loud, and very satisfying 'click'. They wanted to make sure no one _accidentally_ woke him up early the next morning – especially someone with blonde hair that happened to live in their house. He'd more than earned the right to sleep in.

Naruto watched as Hinata stared thoughtfully at the door, not moving even though there was no reason to stay there. Deciding to take the initiative, he reached out and grasped her hand. "C'mon, Hinata-hime. We should be getting to bed too. Plus, I need to get this shirt off. I think Hikaru drooled on it, because the back of my shoulder is wet." He tugged a bit on her hand to get her moving. "Do you want something to eat or drink before we go in?" he asked as they walked back down the stairs. "We really didn't have a chance for anything earlier. I can get you something from the kitchen if…"

He stopped talking when he noticed that Hinata was staring lovingly at him, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Hinata? Why are you crying?" Naruto asked worriedly. "Is something wrong?"

She shook her head and brought her hands up, using her thumbs to affectionately caress his whisker marks. "No, Naruto-kun," she said, sniffing against her tears, "nothing is wrong. On the contrary, everything is very _right._"

"If everything is right, then why are you crying?"

Hinata laughed merrily at his question. "Because Naruto-kun, I don't think you realize how important you are – how much influence you have on everyone and everything around you."

"I think you're making me out to be more than I am."

"No, I'm not." She dropped her hands to rest against his chest, feeling the rippling of his muscles and the strong, steady rhythm of his heartbeat as they intertwined with a torrent of emotions she was sending him through the seal on her hand. "Neji will free the branch family and stop the use of the caged bird seal, just like you promised him in the chūnin exams many years ago. He'll be able to do this because you convinced my father – a man known to be cold, stern and rather inflexible – to draw up an agreement making Neji the next head of the clan, and then helped him trick the elders into giving their approval for it."

"All of that means nothing without Hikaru's help, Hinata. He's the one responsible for…"

"And who do you think is responsible for Hikaru?" Hinata asked firmly, interrupting him. "I have raised him for most of his life. I changed his diapers, fed him and clothed him. I was there when he took his first steps and I heard his first words, but all of that is secondary because none of it would have happened, and he wouldn't be here right now if it wasn't for you, Naruto-kun."

Naruto's look turned dark as he realized what she was referring to. The subject of Hikaru's true parentage was still a very sore and sensitive topic, and anyone who came into contact with him, Hinata or Hikaru knew better than to mention it. He opened his mouth to ask why she was bringing this up now of all times but before he could say anything Hinata placed her finger over his lips, stopping him.

"Please don't say anything, Naruto-kun. Not until I've finished. Then you can yell at me all you want."

Naruto was confused as to why Hinata would think he'd ever yell at her, even with a subject like this but he nodded, agreeing to her request. Hinata removed her finger from his lips and continued.

"I'm not sure if it's because of my pregnancy, but lately I've been thinking a lot about… _our past_. How if I'd been bolder, like Reira is with Hikaru, our lives would have been different. I would have told you far before Pain attacked the village that I was in love with you. Your heart wouldn't have been broken, and you never would have left the village. I wouldn't have had to keep the secret about Hikaru, and suffer at the hands of my clan and the villagers for almost eight years because of it."

"And yet, as much as it hurts me to say it I… I don't think I'd change anything." Hinata buried her face in his chest and hugged him tightly, as if she was afraid her next words would cause him to become angry, and perhaps leave. "If I could go back in time and give us happiness from the very beginning, that would mean I'd have to give up Hikaru and I… I just couldn't do that."

She sobbed softly, and her tears soaked through his shirt quickly. It seemed that once her emotional floodgates opened she couldn't stop, but then again she didn't want to.

"You are everything I could have asked for in a husband, Naruto-kun. My life is so full of happiness and love that at times I think I'll burst, but somehow you always find room for more. You gave me a home, and a family. I'm pregnant with what I'm sure will be two adorable children. I have a son who I love dearly, and because of him the Hyūga clan will be whole once again, ending the strife and hatred that have plagued us for decades. Shikamaru, Temari, Neji, Tenten… the list of people whose lives you've changed for the better is very long, Naruto-kun. You're the one responsible for it all, and I can never thank you enough for everything you've done – not only for me, but also for our friends and my family. We all owe you so much, and I… I don't know how we can ever repay you."

His arms wrapped protectively around her, Naruto thought about what she'd just said as he rubbed her back soothingly, trying to comfort and calm her down. Whether she'd intended it to or not, her words triggered the memory of a conversation he'd had many months ago with Kurama the day after his wedding…

**_***Flashback***_**

_Don't you ever wonder about stuff like this, Kurama? How life could have been different by changing one little thing?_

**_There have been many times I've thought about my existence and the choices I've made. However, through it all I've come to understand that the past is nothing but a weight that sits upon your shoulders, and the more you dwell upon it the heavier it becomes, making you less capable of living in the present._**

_Does it ever go away? This feeling of regret?_

**_No, not really. Time cannot erase these wounds, only diminish them. I'd advise you to learn from the mistakes that you've made, and realize that everything you've endured has worked together to bring you to this moment, allowing you to make the choice for a better future, not only for yourself but for the family you now possess._**

**_***End Flashback***_**

He now understood fully why Hinata was afraid that he'd be furious with her. She was basically saying that if the impossible had been offered to her – a 'what if' scenario where she could go back in time and change everything – she wouldn't do it.

_Her shyness… His obliviousness… Ignoring her confession… Him dating Sakura, and the hurt he caused Hinata by doing so… Him enduring eight years of pain and anguish when Sakura broke up with him… Seeking his own death… Hinata being disowned and disinherited… Her dealing with eight years of hatred, ridicule and scorn from both the clan and the villagers…_

Given the chance, she'd have them repeat all those experiences – both the good and the bad – because the price to change it all would be Hikaru, and **_that_** was the reason why she was upset. She was basically saying that to her line of reasoning, all the pain and suffering he'd experienced was worth it to her, since she couldn't imagine wanting her life to be any different than it was right now. Hinata was afraid that he'd be angry with her because she'd come to the conclusion that next to Hikaru's life, along with everything that had happened since he came back to the village, the value of his own pain and suffering meant nothing, and she couldn't handle the guilt that thought brought her.

He'd never given it much thought, but if he was being honest with himself Hinata was right, and she shouldn't feel guilty at all. Naruto had already come to terms with his own 'what if' scenarios, but even knowing that it could erase years of anguish for the both of them, he wouldn't change a thing. Above everyone else, Hinata and Hikaru were his most precious people and he wasn't giving them up, no matter what the circumstances were, or what was promised to him.

He scooped her up and held her close, as she clung to his neck and continued to cry into his shirt. Going to bed early and spending some time with his wife was definitely the best option, because she needed to know that he wasn't angry, and agreed with her that there was no part of their lives now that was worth exchanging for the life they could have had back then.

Besides, he definitely needed a good night's rest because Tsunade had a very tumultuous and eventful day ahead of them tomorrow. He wondered if when she showed up at his office in the morning, he could truly make her an offer she couldn't refuse.

* * *

The next morning around nine o'clock, Tsunade walked into the Hokage tower, elated and surprisingly well rested. Last night, she'd slept better than she had in months because she helped do something not seen in generations… free someone from the caged bird seal. Naruto had been right in saying that a large amount of the credit should go to Hikaru, but still – even if it was only a small part, accomplishing something she'd tried so many times to do as Hokage was very gratifying.

But as she walked past Mina and turned to enter her old office, her eyes widened in surprise as she was greeted by the sight of Kurenai, Hanari and Might Guy along with Naruto, who were all staring back at her. Kakashi was also there, but he had his face buried in one of his Icha Icha novels.

"Morning, Tsunade." Naruto smirked amusingly at her. "Sleep well?"

She decided she wasn't going to be baited by his subtle innuendos. "Surprisingly enough, yes."

"So you're well rested and sober, right?"

Tsunade scowled at him. "You know damn well the last time I had a drink and the reason why, gaki. Why are you even asking a question like that?"

"Just making sure." He said cheekily, before turning his attention to the rest of the group. "Okay Hanari, Might Guy asked to have a sparring match with you a few weeks ago, and you agreed. So today I'll be bringing the two of you, along with Kurenai to training ground twenty-six. Kurenai is in charge of the fight – what she says goes, but the same rules apply as the one you had with Kakashi. No large scale jutsu, you will **_not_** try to injure Guy permanently and you-know-who stays in your sword. Understand?"

"Yeah, yeah." Hanari said offhandedly. "Don't break him, or the landscape. I got it."

"Same goes for you, Guy-sensei. Make sure whatever you do to Hanari, she can heal from it."

"You have my word Hokage-sama, and my word is as unbreakable as my fiery passion of youth!" Guy exclaimed, winking as he gave Naruto his classic thumbs-up. "Besides, even the cool tempered nature of my eternal rival would surely turn into a torrent of rage if I broke his heart's desire, the Lady Hanari beyond repair."

Kakashi lifted his face from the novel he was reading. "Sorry Gai, did you say something?" he asked, seemingly ignorant of Gai's speech.

Gai shook his fist at him in annoyance and frustration. "Damn you and your hip attitude, Kakashi!"

Hanari scoffed in disbelief at Guy's original comment. "Pfft. You actually think you'll be able break me? Are you sure you didn't have a traumatic head injury recently?"

The implication that he wasn't even close to her level of skill sailed right over Guy's bowl-shaped haircut. "Not that I'm aware of, no." he said, staring blankly back at her. "But my youthful enthusiasm will not be denied! Let's get to the training ground so that we may begin our spar. I'm filled with the flames of youth this morning!"

"Alright, before we start having a 'who's gonna kick who's ass' war of words between you two," Naruto growled, "I'm getting everyone to training ground twenty-six. The three of you will have to find your own way back, though – and Kurenai can help you with that if you're in no condition to do so."

"As if! Like I'd…"

"Hanari! No boasting. Now the three of you get over here and grab my shoulder."

Kurenai, Guy and Hanari complied, and half a second later they vanished in a flash of yellow light.

As they waited for Naruto to get back, the two former Hokage stared at each other. The silence stretched uncomfortably on for almost a minute before Tsunade decided she'd had enough and started up a conversation in order to break the tension.

"So, Kakashi – any idea why Naruto asked us to be here?"

He put his book away and shook his head. "No, not really. I know why _they_ were here…" he said, motioning his head towards the spot where everyone had been only minutes before, "but I'm clueless as to the rest. Maybe it has to do with something that only we, as former Hokage would have any knowledge about."

"I can't think of anything better. Any guesses as to what it might be?"

"Not a clue. During his first two weeks on the job, Naruto created a couple dozen clones and read through everything in the vault that holds most of the village secrets. There shouldn't be much left to ask about, and of the things I know of that were purposely left out, none of them are important enough to call us _both_ here. Either one of us would have been sufficient."

**_Over at Training Ground Twenty-Six…_**

"For Kami's sake Hanari, you're here for a sparring match, not an insult contest." Naruto's patience was wearing thin, especially with his former teammate. "Guy, keep your flames of youth in check until Kurenai says you can start the fight. And Kurenai, if either one of them get out of line, use the worst genjutsu you can think of to knock them out, and then bring them back to the village. The ANBU know you guys are out here, so if you need help just call for it. Other than that, I'll see you guys when the match is finished."

As soon as Naruto disappeared, Hanari casually reached up and touched the seal at the back of her neck. SuchīRushadou appeared in her right hand, and just as Kurenai and Guy had seen the day she'd fought Kakashi, a swirling aura of ebony black and jade green surrounded the sword.

Still grinning smugly, Hanari decided she'd test the limits of Naruto's final command. "You ready to get started, spandex boy?"

Guy returned the grin and drew a pair of metal nunchaku from the storage pouch on his hip. "I am, and you have my word that I won't take your fighting skills lightly. I've seen firsthand how capable a kunoichi you are."

"Then why don't you just…" She was interrupted as Guy crossed his arms in front of his chest.

_"First Gate of Opening…OPEN!"_

Hanari watched with moderate fascination as the nunchaku became a blur as he rapidly twirled them around his body. She had no clue what that 'gate' thing was he just used, but gave him a nice power boost. Maybe she'd finally found someone who could come close to keeping up with her speed.

"Well, Guy… you've peaked my interest. You might actually make me break a sweat. I'm gonna enjoy seeing just how good you really are."

Guy stopped spinning his nunchaku. The sun glistened briefly off his teeth as he took a defensive pose.

"As will I, Hanari. Show me how brightly the flames of youth burn within you!"

Kurenai watched as the two rushed towards each other, almost faster than she could follow. Thinking this fight would probably be at least as entertaining as the one between Hanari and Kakashi – if not more so – she pulled out a storage scroll and produced a large bag of buttered popcorn. She adjusted her seat on the rock in order to get more comfortable, popping a few kernels in her mouth as she listened to the clang of weapons from two of the most insane ninja in the village as they clashed with one another.

**_Back in Konoha…_**

Kakashi and Tsunade were interrupted as Naruto suddenly reappeared behind his desk. "Honestly, it's like dealing with genin fresh out of the academy!" he said indignantly.

"What happened?" Kakashi asked casually.

"Guy was overly enthusiastic to get started, yelling that his 'flames of youth' couldn't be contained any longer. Hanari was egging him on, saying that his spandex suit must have cut off the flow of blood to his brain if he thought he had a chance of beating her. Kurenai was laughing too hard at the whole thing to stop them. I think Hanari is a bad influence on her."

Tsunade and Kakashi shared a look, and then both chuckled softly. "Well, now you know **_exactly_** how it was for both of us dealing with you when you were younger." Kakashi said jokingly.

"There's no way I was _that_ bad, Kakashi-sensei."

"You're right. You weren't that bad." Tsunade couldn't resist joining Kakashi in needling him a little bit. "You were worse."

"Ha ha ha. You're hilarious. The both of you." The sarcasm practically oozed out of his voice. "Anyway, let's get back to the reason why you're both here. I'm sure the two of you were discussing it while I was gone, right?"

"Actually, yes." Kakashi said flatly. "The only thing we could come up with was that it had something to do with private Hokage business, since both of us held the office before you."

"Well, that's partially true. I wanted both of you here because you held the title of Hokage, but not in the way you were probably thinking about." Naruto steepled his hands and rested his chin on them. His eyes turned a steely shade of blue as he stared at Tsunade, his gaze intense and calculating. If Kakashi didn't know better, he'd swear there was a Hyūga sitting in front of them.

"I want you to fight me. And as a former Hokage also, I want him…" Naruto motioned his head towards Kakashi, "…to be there as both referee and witness for the entire thing. And take us to the hospital afterwards if necessary."

Tsunade and Kakashi were both taken by surprise at the request.

"You want me to spar? With you?" she asked. It was both a question and a statement.

"Not spar. Fight. There's a difference. And yes. With me."

"That doesn't make any sense, Naruto. Why do you want to fight with me?"

Naruto hesitated for a moment, before reclining his seat and closing his eyes. "My reasons are my own," Naruto said wearily, rubbing his temples, "and I won't tell you the entire reason why until you give me your answer, but the fact of the matter is that I'm tired, Tsunade."

She eyed him skeptically. This was the complete opposite of the upbeat man she'd seen less than thirty minutes ago when she'd walked into his office. "Tired? Tired of what?"

"Of this," Naruto motioning one hand back and forth between the two of them. "It all started when I got back from Nadeshiko Village with the mission file. You remember the conversation we had the day after? Where I told you how pissed off and disgusted I was with you, and turned your desk into pile of toothpicks?"

Tsunade nodded solemnly. It wasn't something she was particularly proud of, and the memory of it brought a sour taste to her mouth. "I don't think I'll ever forget it."

"Then there was the conversation we had when I first became Hokage. You told me how sorry you were, and begged and pleaded for me to forgive you for all the crap you did. I accepted your apology, but said that forgiveness was a long way off." His gaze softened as he looked at Tsunade once again. "Since then, I've been running you ragged with small, odd personal requests because even though you totally deserved it, I didn't feel like making your life a living hell. But what you did to help Hikaru and Neji… that meant a lot. And I'm tired of just dumping requests off on you. You're a former Hokage damn it, and frankly none of that is doing anything to get you to feel or understand what I went through for eight years. That's why I want you to fight me."

The skeptic look was back on her face. "You're still not making a very good case, Naruto. You're dead set on fighting me, but there has to be some incentive, because I'm really not interested in the two of us just beating the hell out of each other. Give me one good reason why I should fight you in the first place."

"Because if you win, I'll consider your debt to me paid in full. I still won't forget, but I'll forgive what you did."

Tsunade was stunned. The reward was certainly far greater than what she'd been expecting – not that she was looking for the easy way out, because fighting Naruto wouldn't be easy by any stretch of the imagination. But she wanted so badly… so _very badly_ for her heart to stop hurting so much. She desperately wanted her adopted grandson to call her "Baa-chan" once again, and be part of a family – **_his_** family.

The opposite was going on with Kakashi. He narrowed his eye suspiciously at Naruto, wondering what his ulterior motive was in all of this. Tsunade had no clue Naruto had spent eight years with the Mienai Segi. With Sage Mode, his summoning contract with the toads at Mount Myōboku, and the full power of Kurama at his disposal the fight would be unbelievably lopsided, even taking into account that Tsunade was one of the legendary Sannin. There's no way Naruto was stupid enough not to know that.

"I assume you'll find a way to make the fight more even?" Kakashi wasn't trying to insinuate that he'd use it regardless, but the nine-tailed fox definitely gave Naruto an edge. "She's not a jinchuuriki, Naruto."

Naruto let out a dry laugh. "Don't worry. I've already taken that into account and I've got it covered."

Tsunade pondered his request. It was certainly tempting, but… "What happens if I lose?"

"Nothing, other than a free trip to the hospital. You can try again once you've healed, but bear in mind that you'll be that much older when you do. And I've got a good forty-five years on you right now."

"Smartass. It's thirty-three at the most." Tsunade gave Naruto a deadpan look and crossed her arms in front of her chest – which Kakashi thought was a rather impressive feat. "Fine. I accept. When would you like to do this? And where?"

"The when is right now – that's why I asked if you got a good night's sleep when you got here." Naruto said straightforwardly. "I have to leave for Kirigakure in a few days, so I want some time to heal before I do. As for the where, I figured we could use training ground forty-four, the forest of death. It'd be the perfect place for two Kage level ninja to go all out, and since we aren't scheduled to have the chūnin exams in the village for another four years, there'll be plenty of time for the local landscape to recover. I sent a clone out there yesterday with one of my special kunai, so I can get us there in an instant if you're up for it."

Tsunade stared back at him, stone faced as she thought about the pros and cons of the situation. Pros? Both she and Naruto could finally get past this… continued awkwardness, this _wall_ he'd built between them and start moving back to where things should have been before… well, basically before he'd found out how bad she'd fucked things up. And just like Sakura, she'd deserved every bit of what she'd gotten.

The cons? She'd be fighting Naruto, who'd brought down Pain when the entirety of Konoha couldn't and with Sasuke's help, defeated both Kaguya and Madara Uchiha when he was seventeen years old. Those two instances made **_him_** much more of a legend than her honorary title of 'Legendary Sannin'. Plus, she was actually _thirty-eight years older_ than him, which made her… well, however old she wanted to admit. She could still count herself among the most powerful ninja in the elemental nations but when it came to Naruto, the age gap was very significant.

Still, the offer was far too good to pass up. Even if she lost, she could at least say that met the challenge head-on, and tried her best rather than decline out of fear. And win or lose, she hoped it would make a difference to him, as to where she stood in his life.

**_Back at Training Ground Twenty-Six…_**

Hanari was upset. No, upset wasn't the right term for what she was feeling right now. _It was ticked off._

For the last ten minutes, she'd been trying to cut Guy's nunchaku to pieces but his skill with the weapon was at least as good as her kenjutsu. She quickly realized that since he witnessed the fight between her and Kakashi, he knew that SuchīRushadou could slice through practically anything and every time she'd swung her sword at him, he'd used the nunchaku to hit the flat of her blade and deflect it. While Guy seemed to enjoy the 'clang' every time that happened, the sound only served to irritate her more.

She didn't want to use any ninjutsu just yet – forbidden or not – because she wanted to gauge his abilities first. But at this point, she was either going to have to resort to using some, or push herself faster. She quickly decided for the latter, since other than her former Mienai Segi associate Gilgamesh, there was no one faster than she was.

Hanari threw a front kick at Guy, which he of course blocked but the impact was enough to send them about a dozen yards away from one another. They stared down one another, panting heavily. Hanari dragged the back of her free hand across her forehead, and when it came away she was a bit surprised to see it covered in a thick layer of sweat.

"Heh. I'm impressed, Guy. Looks like you actually **_did_** make me break a sweat. That's something not even Kakashi made me do. You must be WAY stronger than he is."

Still in his defensive stance, Guy flashed his trademark smile and with his own free hand, gave her a thumbs-up. "I appreciate that, and I'm impressed with your skills as well. However, I'm sorry to say that you're incorrect about my eternal rival. At present, the count of various contests between us stands at eighty-six to seventy-two, in his favor."

Guy had made the statement casually, but the words triggered something with Hanari. She narrowed her eyes accusingly at him, the point of her sword dropped several inches and her lips pressed into a thin line.

"Bullshit. You're lying."

Guy shook his head. "I assure you that I'm not, Hanari. My eternal rival is truly a formidable opponent." He motioned his head towards Kurenai, who is still sitting on her rock at the edge of the clearing. "You may ask Kurenai, if you don't believe me."

Even though she didn't think he'd stoop so low as to attack her while she was distracted, Hanari remained slightly on guard and glanced at Kurenai out of the corner of her eye.

"He's right," she said, tossing four or five kernels of popcorn into her mouth, "Kakashi was the strongest out of our graduating class, Hanari. The ANBU are Konoha's elite fighting force, and he's a legend even among them. And he **_was_** the Hokage – you don't get that job by being an above average shinobi."

"But…But that's impossible!" she yelled in denial. "I kicked his ass in what – twenty minutes when we fought? If he's stronger than Guy, then how…"

"You can chalk part of it up to not knowing the extent of your skills, but more than likely the rest of it is because he didn't want to cause any permanent damage." Kurenai smiled wistfully as her mind brought up memories – both sad and happy – of the past. "Both Guy and I have known Kakashi since we were children, Hanari. He's had a pretty bad string of luck in his life. A lot of people he was close to died. It kind of shut him down emotionally, but he cares about you – a lot. We can both see it, and it's more than we've seen him care about someone in a very long time. And with the history he's had, Kakashi deserves some happiness. Subconsciously, he was probably trying not to hurt you because he didn't want to screw up that chance."

"So he…he threw the fight?"

"Umm," Kurenai said hesitantly, "I wouldn't say that. I'm pretty sure he didn't even know he was doing it until…"

The point of her sword came back up and her chakra suddenly spiked, enveloping her entire body in the swirling jade green and ebony black aura that had only been surrounding the sword up until now.

"That rotten, no good son of a bitch! When I'm done here, I'm gonna break every bone in his body!" She bared her teeth, grinding them in fury. "No, scratch that! First I'll break him in half, **_then_** I'll break every bone in his body! He won't be able to walk for at least a month!" Hanari pointed her sword menacingly at Guy, and the aura surrounding her body increased in intensity. "But first, you and I are finishing this fight! You better up your game, because I'm through playing around with you!"

"Wonderful! A marvelous display of youth!" Guy shouted exhilaratingly, bringing his arms to his sides. "I shall up my game! _Third Gate… Gate of Life, OPEN!"_

Guy's skin turned red, and his eyes seemed to glow white with power. An aura of what Hanari could only assume was chakra appeared around his body. The sight caused an adrenaline rush throughout her body – a psychosomatic thrill at being able to fight someone who, through a lifetime of insane training regimens, was a self-made powerhouse.

"C'mon, green bean – show me what you got!" Hanari yelled, grinning maniacally.

* * *

**_Over at Training Ground Forty-Four, The Forest of Death…_**

Kakashi, Tsunade and Naruto appeared suddenly in a flash of yellow light. Tsunade noticed immediately that they were in the large clearing in the northwest corner – while not completely barren, the area was only sparsely populated by trees, along with a few dozen rocks of various sizes, including six boulders.

"Okay Tsunade, we're going to have a few extra few rules for this fight." Naruto said casually, as he took his jacket off and extended it towards Kakashi, who quirked an eyebrow at him.

"I have my own coat like this, but this one belonged to my dad. I'd rather not ruin it." Naruto explained. Kakashi took the coat and nodded, understanding immediately.

"Rules?" Tsunade asked semi-curiously. "Other than the traditional shinobi sparring rules, which basically state that 'purposely trying to kill or maim your opponent is forbidden', what else do we need?"

"These are mostly for your protection. Kakashi hinted that he more or less wants a fair fight, and I agree with him. So first, no summons. Kastuyu and the slugs, along with Gamabunta and the rest of the toads don't make an appearance. Agreed?"

He wanted the match to be between the two of them, and not their summons. It was a reasonable request, plus Katsuyu and Gamabunta wouldn't take kindly to having to fight one another. "Agreed."

"Second, I won't be using nine-tails chakra mode. There are some healing benefits Kurama's chakra gives me that I can't turn off, but I won't use it to accelerate anything, or perform any offensive attacks."

That was in response to what Kakashi said back at the office. "Agreed."

_Now for the one she_ **_isn't_** _expecting,_ Naruto thought as he smirked at her. "Third… I won't use Sage Mode."

That last one shocked her. "You what?"

"You heard me. I'm not going to use Sage Mode."

_He's certainly giving himself a major handicap for this fight,_ Kakashi thought to himself. Satisfied that Naruto honored his request to make the fight more or less even, Kakashi used the shunshin to move to the far edge of the clearing, where he could sit and watch the fight from a safe distance. With these two, there was no telling how big the damage might be.

Tsunade however, wasn't convinced. "There's something missing here, Naruto. Kyuubi or not, no one limits themselves in a fight like you just did unless it's a friendly spar – which this apparently is not – or there's another reason behind it all. You said so yourself at the office, so why don't you just tell me the rest of the reason for all of this?"

His face hardened, and the color of his eyes became a dark cobalt blue as he stared icily back at her. Tsunade retreated a step or two as she saw his demeanor change… this was not the boy she remembered, nor was it the man who returned to the village almost a year ago. No, this was someone else entirely… someone she'd never seen before…

"You want to know the real reason behind all of this, Tsunade?" he asked coldly, "It's because after months of trying to find another way besides this to show you what happened to me, I couldn't do it. Yes, you're sorry – but do you **truly** know what you're sorry about?"

Tsunade took another step back, as she began to feel his chakra increase. But the feeling was off – it was dark, foreboding… almost like a living thing that continued to grow, smothering any warmth it encountered. And it wasn't something she ever expected to come from a person like Naruto.

"The pain I suffered through. The training sessions I endured. The suicide missions I volunteered for, looking for my own death which instead of killing me, only made me stronger. The horrors and atrocities I've seen. The faces of those I've killed. The blank, lifeless stares of the innocent I wasn't in time to save. I became numb to my emotions. Most of the time it was far safer to feel nothing at all."

_Tsunade actually began to shiver under the pressure of his chakra. Is this what Sakura and I are responsible for? This can't be possible…_

Naruto suddenly remembered that he'd left the seal on his hand open and quickly shut it down. He didn't know what kind of effect it would have on Hinata, but he hoped nothing made it through because otherwise, he was going to have a lot of explaining to do when he got home.

"In order for you to **truly** understand, I wanted you to see what you helped create," he growled menacingly. His posture shifted, like an alpha predator ready to pounce on his next meal… "No influence from Kurama. No hiding behind Sage Mode. No shadows or illusions."

Naruto spiked his chakra pressure…

_"I wanted you to see the monster I became."_

…and both Tsunade and Kakashi gasped, as the world turned heavy.

**_Back at Training Ground Twenty-Six…_**

"EARTH STYLE!" Hanari shouted, stabbing her sword into the ground, "EARTH TSUNAMI!"

A wave of earth, easily thirty feet tall radiated out from her sword and traveled toward Guy, who was standing across the clearing.

Grinning ecstatically, he slammed his palms together in front of him and shouted back, "RISING SUN!"

The shockwaves that emanated from his hands sizzled for a few yards before they burst into flame, growing in size and speed as they traveled towards the earth tsunami barreling toward him. The two met in the middle and exploded, causing flaming chunks of rocks to shower all around them.

Hanari swatted away the pieces with her sword, while Guy used his nunchaku to do the same. The only difference was that Guy was clearly enjoying himself, while Hanari was seriously pissed off. She bumped her chakra to another level, pushing out more power.

Kurenai watched as the jade green and black aura surrounding Hanari intensified, and then both she and Guy disappeared in a blur of colors. She finished her popcorn several minutes ago, and was watching the fight with rabid fascination. Both Guy and Hanari were moving so fast that even she, an experienced jōnin couldn't follow their movements – but she could certainly hear them. Sonic booms and seismic tremors came from all over the clearing. Boulders and trees exploded, and craters formed in their wake.

The two of them seemed to be polar opposites – Hanari was getting angrier as the fight dragged on, while Guy became more and more excited. Well, she assumed that was the case since he kept screaming about the 'flames of youth', but he always did that. But either way, it was clear he was enjoying the match against Hanari on a number of levels.

Hanari's coat was in tatters from two of Guy's attacks, but unlike the day she'd fought Kakashi she refused to discard it. Kurenai figured that might change soon, because there wasn't much of it left. Although, Hanari in a chain mail shirt would probably be less of a distraction to Guy than it would be to Kakashi because… well, just because. And thankfully, Guy's spandex suit remained mostly intact except for a few holes here and there where Hanari had gotten him with some sort of rapid fire barrage earth jutsu.

Both of them were pushing each other to their limits, especially Guy – and that was something she'd only seen Kakashi do before. Even worse, neither of them was at their maximum, which meant that this would probably end badly for one of them… or maybe both.

She was interrupted from her thoughts as they suddenly stopped about twenty yards or so from each other, panting heavily.

"How?" Hanari railed, as she reached up and ripped the remains of her coat off and threw it angrily at the ground. "How the fuck can you be this fast? It can't be from whatever the hell those 'gate' things are you keep shouting about. I don't care how insane your workouts might be, there's no fucking way…"

"Actually, it's exactly from those 'gate' things you're screaming about." Kurenai said matter-of-factly from her seat at the edge of the clearing, as she wadded up the empty popcorn bag and casually tossed it over her shoulder. "Guy really isn't good at molding chakra. He basically has almost no talent for ninjutsu or genjutsu, so he focuses on his taijutsu and in that one area he trains himself mercilessly to be the best. You won't find someone better at taijutsu anywhere in the elemental nations. He's highly skilled and deadly enough without it but if he needs to, he can also utilize the Eight Gates."

Not taking her eyes off of Guy, Hanari hacked and spat some blood on the ground. "Eight Gates? What the hell are those?"

"The Eight Gates are specific tenketsu in someone's chakra pathway system." Guy explained. "They limit the flow of chakra within your body and it is the most powerful taijutsu technique known, as well as the most dangerous. Through intense physical training, only someone who is a taijutsu master can learn how to open these gates, allowing the user to surpass their own limitations. Opening each one increases the user's strength, speed and stamina exponentially, but doing so can cause extreme damage to their body. The final gate – the Gate of Death – can only be utilized at the cost of the user's life, but the rest can be survived if their body is strong enough. At the present time, I have opened five gates and still have the ability to open two more."

_So he still has two more levels to go, Hanari thought, and both of them will make him stronger and faster than he is already. Fuck. This is what I get for being overconfident. I wonder if my forbidden jutsu will be enough for me to take him down…_

She was broken from her thoughts, and everyone paused as a wave of emotions washed over them, like a light summer breeze. The only difference was that unlike a summer breeze, this didn't have one iota of warmth in it. They all looked in the direction it came from, but while Guy and Kurenai looked apprehensive, Hanari snickered knowingly.

Kurenai blanched. "What…What the hell is that?"

"This is the opposite of the flames of youth." The trademark smile had vanished from Guy's face for the first time since the match had started. "The sensation feels as if all at the same time, someone was experiencing the worst of what the world had to offer."

"It's called Emotional Coalescence," Hanari stated wryly, as Kurenai and Guy stared guardedly at her. "It's a technique where you can actually make your emotions palpable. It's used to demoralize and really scare the shit out of the enemy on the battlefield. I mean, we're probably a couple of miles away right now. Can you imagine being within a few yards of that and getting hit with it full force?"

_A couple of miles away?_ Both Kurenai and Guy shivered at the thought.

"I know how to do it too, but this is **_way_** beyond what I'm capable of. But the feeling it puts out is unique to whoever's doing it. Kind of like a fingerprint. And this is one I've felt before. I know exactly who it is, and Kami help whoever he's using it on."

"**_That…_** is your Hokage."

* * *

A/N: So everyone's probably looking at this thinking… 'What an evil cliffhanger!' Well, you'd be right. And the next chapter will be a conclusion to all of this, in addition to some issues with Neji, Sakura, Kakashi, Hanari, Tsunade and the Hyūga council. I was originally planning on putting all of this into one chapter but it would have taken longer, and the chapter would have been over 20k words so I'm breaking it up – plus, I didn't want to wait any longer to push something out to you guys.

I would also like to apologize to **gigiree123.** I took a break at the end of last chapter to do some beta work on what you sent me and guess what? Yours is the only piece I didn't complete. You gave me the reasons why we haven't talked and that's fine, but I still feel bad.

So, next chapter is the conclusion of the fights between Hanari/Kakashi and Tsunade/Naruto. Things happen with Sakura and Ino. Neji, Naruto and Hiashi confront the Hyūga council. And Reira has a bit of a moment as well.

**_Poll!_** Okay, last chapter I told my readers that I'm leaving it up to them as to who Choji ends up with – Karui or Ino. As of right now, Karui is in the lead (even taking into account votes from reviews and PM's), but I'm leaving the poll open for one more chapter. If you haven't voted yet, please head over to my profile page and do so, because it will definitely affect the plot and future chapters!

**_Recommendation time!_** So there's this story I was reading a few months back and never ended up recommending because I was under the impression that the story had ended. Well, I can't tell you how wrong I was and the author is continuing it much to my delight. There are several other authors on this site that have read and recommended it (I'm thinking of you, Ayrmed), so they know how good of a piece of work it is.

The name of it is **White Kunai** by **Magma823.** The summary pretty much says it all – Naruto, Ino and Hinata are called to another town to investigate a serial rapist/killer. The story has now picked up where Naruto is the Hokage and he and Hinata are married, with a baby on the way. Besides being well written, it's filled with cliffhangers and tension. Go on over and read it – I'm almost positive you won't be disappointed. And leave a review when you do – I'm sure the author would appreciate it!

Here's the link, as usual remove the spaces and you know what to replace the stars with:

www . fanfiction . *** / s / 9919311

**REVIEWS!** Okay, so I pleaded for reviews last chapter and you guys responded in a big way. One hundred and thirty-two reviews, which is a new record. Granted, fifty of them came from those two readers who left me one for every chapter but it still counts. It was the best Christmas present a guy like me could get. I can't thank everyone enough, and I now have 2,000 reviews in my sights.

I know I won't come close to that number, but I'm still going to plead for as many reviews as you'll give me. They motivate me, challenge me, encourage me and help me stay focused on writing, so please take a minute to leave one for me. I can't tell you how much I'd appreciate it.

That's all for now. Take care and stay safe.

Serious Sam


	31. Ch 30: Resolutions

30\. Resolutions

**_Everything is awesome… Everything is cool when you're part of a team…_**

And now you have that song from **_The Lego Movie_** stuck in your heads. Yes I'm evil, but if I must suffer so shall my readers!

This chapter is dedicated to **Leonard Nimoy.** To a lifelong nerd like myself, he was always way cooler than Kirk – even though Kirk got all the hot, green-skinned women. You, more than most people, 'Lived Long and Prospered.'

So, here we are at Chapter 30. It's been far too long since my last release, but in compensation I'm pushing out an extra big chapter. I had some problems with the fight scene between Naruto and Tsunade at the beginning – my OCD kicked in and I rewrote the thing several times – but I would like to thank **Fate-117** and **MattWilson83** for helping me power through it, as well as giving me several ideas and tweaks to use.

As I always do, I'd like to thank **Titokhan** and my anonymous beta for their help and support.

_So let's get to credit where credit is due:_

**TheMachine5499:** Your request for the Guy/Hanari fight happens here. Thanks!

**Firetemplar415:** Your idea for the Naruto/Tsunade fight is incorporated here.

**bennie403/dang3rday5:** The bonding scene between Kakashi and Hanari in the hospital was created and tweaked based on your suggestions. Thank you!

**zafnak:** I can't believe you got The Young Ones! You my friend have a knack for getting even the most remote and obscure references in my disclaimers. Bravo!

**MattWilson83**: Well, as usual the man behind NaruHina Chronicles took time to give me a slew of ideas, sometimes staying up until the wee hours of the morning to keep me motivated. I can't list them all here, but there's a good portion of this chapter that was tweaked or expanded because of him. A very heartfelt thanks to you, dude.

There were many readers who questioned Naruto not talking to Hinata on a more regular basis, and not trusting her fully. I had planned to address this at some point, but there is a part in this chapter that I wrote specifically for you. I hope it meets with your approval.

I would also like to thank guest **MDS777** for leaving me a ton of reviews. I would love to respond to you and answer all those questions you asked, but FanFiction doesn't allow me to do that – unless you actually create an account. If you have another way for me to respond, tell me in your next review and I'll be more than happy to do so.

And finally, a huge thanks to **JustRetribution,** author of **Our Ninja Way** who was kind enough to read my story and leave me a few glowing reviews. His story is awesome and everyone should check it out. You rock, dude!

Jumping right to the disclaimer this chapter… it's just a snippet, but let's see who guesses it correctly (I'm looking at you, **zafnak**):

**_Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto. Who are you? What are you doing here in prison?_**

**_Nick Rivers – My name is Nick Rivers. Who are you?_**

**_Dr. Flammond – I'm Dr. Paul Flammond. I'm a prisoner here, just like you._**

**_Nick Rivers – What did they arrest you for?_**

**_Dr. Flammond – Well, a year ago I was close to perfecting the first magnetic desalinization process. Something so revolutionary, it was capable of removing the salt from over one million gallons of seawater a day. Do you realize what that could mean to the starving nations of the earth?_**

**_Nick Rivers – Yeah. They'd have enough salt to last forever! (+1 if you get the reference)._**

* * *

Chapter 30 – Resolutions

It was an assault on her senses. Tsunade's eyes stung with the pain of watching innocents die. Her mouth tasted bitter from the hypocrisy of life and love. Years of childhood loneliness and neglect pierced her heart.

Her skin crawled. Her stomach churned. Anger, hopelessness, rage, anguish, fury, heartbreak… They came down on Tsunade like an anvil. Her legs grew weak under the pressure of the emotions and if she hadn't been through two wars, or possessed the strength of a Sannin she would have collapsed underneath it within seconds.

As it was, it took a good amount of effort on her part to remain standing.

"Make your move," Naruto said, his tone of voice dangerously low.

"Naruto, I…" Tsunade hesitated. She always assumed she could somewhat understand and sympathize with how Naruto felt, whether it was from growing up as a pariah in the village, the trials and tribulations he endured once he became a ninja, or what happened with Sakura and the years afterwards, but this was beyond anything she could have imagined. She was dumbstruck with how far off her perception was of not only how powerful those emotions were, but also how much they obviously affected him.

"Don't want to take me up on my offer? Fine. Then I'll go first." His expression never changed as he dashed forward and drove a fist into Tsunade's stomach. She doubled over, gasping for breath.

Naruto casually strolled back to his original position and resumed his previous stance. "You need to understand something, Tsunade. What you're seeing right now is basically a… fragment of the monster I can be. It remembers your pathetic attempt to find me when I left the village… how much you hurt Hinata by giving in to Sakura's demands… and the life you took from me by keeping Hikaru a secret. It doesn't forget. It obsesses on every memory. It feeds on what you're feeling right now."

"You don't want to deal with the monster hovering in the background anymore? To feel like complete shit over what your… _lack of effort_ did to me? Then show me what you're willing to give is stronger than he is. Use every trick you have. Don't hold back a thing – because if you do, I guarantee it won't be enough."

Still clutching her stomach, Tsunade raised her head and glared icily back at Naruto. He'd seen that look only one other time before, and it was right before she'd tried to attack Pain after he'd turned Konoha into a gigantic crater.

She could have frozen water instantly with that stare. And Naruto felt a rush of adrenaline, because it was absolutely perfect.

"Fine. If that's what you want, then that's what you're going to get!" She raised her fists over her head and slammed them down, sending a shockwave of shattered earth towards him. Naruto dashed to the side, only to have Tsunade appear in front of him. She threw a punch at his face and he quickly ducked underneath it, sweeping her legs out from underneath her. She countered, rotating as she fell and drove a chakra-enhanced fist into his stomach.

The crater she formed with the impact was easily ten yards in diameter. But rather than Naruto, Tsunade was surprised to find out that she'd shattered a log instead.

_Substitution Jutsu,_ she thought angrily. Her eyes darted around the clearing as she scanned the surrounding area, trying to sense where he was but she came up empty. A glint in the treeline caught her eye and what looked like a hundred shuriken emerged from the shadows, heading towards her. She slammed her foot into the earth, kicking up a large slab of rock to protect her from the onslaught.

_Shadow shuriken,_ she realized just before the rock exploded and Naruto came charging through. She avoided the attack, but not completely – he managed to land a glancing blow to the left side of her forehead, cutting the flesh. Blood ran into her eye, obscuring her vision but she could still see him grinning smugly.

"Smirk on your own damn time!" she yelled, grabbing his leg as he sailed past, swinging him overhead like a sledgehammer and slamming him face first into the dirt. He rolled over and lashed out, kicking her in the stomach and driving her back a dozen or so yards – enough so that he could actually stand up and get his bearings.

"Nice opening shot, Tsunade. I gotta admit, you still got some good moves – for someone older than dirt." He was actually bluffing a little – Tsunade had cracked two ribs and broken a third during the initial exchange. If he'd pulled off the Substitution Jutsu a second later he'd be the one in pieces at the bottom of that crater, and not the log.

Tsunade wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "You can shove that sarcastic attitude of yours, Naruto. I don't care what it takes – I'm winning this fight because the stakes are too high. That monster of yours is going down, even if I have to beat the shit out of you to do it!"

"Don't get ahead of yourself. You may be a former Hokage, but I'm the current one!" Naruto yelled, spiking his chakra pressure. "Bring it on, Tsunade! Let's see if you still have what it takes!"

**_Back at Training Ground Twenty Six…_**

Both competitors were breathing heavily, battered and bruised in over a dozen places. Hanari's clothing was in tatters, and could barely qualify as an outfit anymore. A more accurate description would be several rags that had been cobbled together to form a tacky two-piece swimsuit. Guy fared little better – the sleeves and legs of his spandex were gone, his eyebrows were singed, half of his hair was burnt off, and his left arm sported an ugly gash from his shoulder down to his wrist.

From the far end of the clearing, Kurenai could only shake her head incredulously at the two of them. Neither one was willing to concede. She was surprised that Hanari was still standing and if Guy hadn't been using the Eight Gates, he'd have collapsed from exhaustion by now. One way or another, the fight was ending soon.

"You… You just won't… won't quit, will you?" Hanari panted, sweat trickling down her forehead and into her eyes. It stung painfully and she quickly wiped it away. She couldn't afford to let Guy out of her sight, even for a moment.

"I… I will not, Hanari," Guy panted back. "Un… Until my flames of… of youth are extinguished, I… I will not yield."

_How the fuck is he still standing? She thought angrily. I'm Freyja! I'm Mienai Segi! And I'm not gonna be beat by this spandex workout freak of nature!_

"Fine! No more fucking around! I'm finishing this right now!" She pushed out every ounce of chakra she had left, spiking it tremendously. The intensity of the green and black aura surrounding both her and SuchīRushadou flared brightly, almost to the point where it was painful to look at. She tossed the sword straight up into the air, where it tumbled over and over while she quickly began to flash through hand signs.

Both Kurenai and Guy found it interesting that even though the sword left her hand, the aura around them both never dissipated, signaling there was a connection between them beyond mere physical touch.

The sword reached the apex of its flight and seemed to pause, before heading back down towards the earth. On the ground, Hanari was still furiously flashing through hand signs as Guy remained on guard against whatever she was planning to do.

**_"FORBIDDEN ART!"_** Hanari shouted, just as SuchīRushadou landed point first in front of her feet. She slammed the palms of her hands down on the pommel, driving it up to the hilt in the ground. **_"TECTONIC SHIFT!"_**

The ground seemed to shiver, and Guy became slightly unnerved as the sensation traveled up his spine. After that, a sound that could only be compared to a heavy groan emanated throughout the clearing before a large part of the ground fractured and imploded.

As he struggled for balance, Guy looked down in horror and saw that he was falling into a bottomless pit. Or at least that's what he assumed it was, since the only thing below him was darkness. He knew right away he wasn't getting out of this unless he took immediate action.

**_"GATE SIX, OPEN!"_** he shouted, flaring whatever chakra he had remaining. He jumped rapidly between the descending pieces of earth like a grasshopper, covering the space between him and Hanari within a matter of seconds. As soon as he landed in front of her, he launched a kick straight at her jaw.

Hanari brought up her arm to counterattack and the blows seemed to hit simultaneously. Her punch shattered his tibia, while his kick sent her flying high into the air. Guy hissed in pain as he jumped after her using his one good leg. As Hanari rose, Guy caught up to her in mid-air and the bandages from his arms wrapped around her, binding her tight.

**_"FRONT LOTUS!"_**

The two of them plummeted to earth, spinning rapidly. Barely rational at the moment, Hanari could only think of two things – one, that she couldn't focus enough right now to do even a basic Substitution Jutsu and two, that because she was at the edge of exhaustion and didn't have much chakra left, this attack was going to hurt in a horribly disfiguring way.

From the edge of the clearing, Kurenai had the exact same thought. Plus, she knew she'd need help carrying the two of them back to Konoha Hospital. In their condition, slinging them over her shoulders wouldn't be a good idea.

Guy and Hanari hit the ground with tremendous force, shattering it and kicking up a huge cloud of dust. Once it cleared, Kurenai saw Guy standing on one leg over Hanari, who was buried head first in the ground. One of her legs was bent awkwardly, signifying it was broken in numerous places.

As the chakra surrounding his body began to fade, he turned towards Kurenai and gave her the best 'nice guy' pose he could manage.

"Yosh! Today, the power of youth has guided me to victory!" he shouted triumphantly – and then his eyes rolled up into the back of his head. He pitched forward, passing out face first in the dirt.

Kurenai chuckled at the sight, before putting two fingers in her mouth and whistling for the ANBU stationed nearby. As she waited for them to show up, she looked off in the direction where the wave of emotions had come from earlier.

"Well, that was certainly an interesting way to spend the morning," she said out loud to herself. "They're going to be laid up in the hospital for a few weeks at least – and Naruto isn't going to be happy that Hanari redecorated most of his private training ground with a bottomless pit. I wonder how he's doing – and who he's actually fighting?"

* * *

With a chakra enhanced knife hand Tsunade was cutting down trees, grabbing them like spears and throwing them at high speeds towards Naruto, who was grinning maniacally while dodging them left and right.

"That's an amateur tactic, Tsunade! I expected better from you!"

"Call it whatever you want, Naruto," she said, chucking another tree at him. "You should know better than anyone that amateur tactics can still work!"

Naruto frowned. It was a blatant jab at how he farted in Kiba's face during the chūnin exams to win the match, and she knew it. As he dodged the tree, another shadow clone of Tsunade attacked him from behind. Before he had a chance to react, she drove her fist into his back…

…and he disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"More shadow clones, Naruto?" she asked drolly. "That's the pot calling the kettle black about using amateur tactics. And don't think you'll be able to pull a sneak attack on me with those things. I can tell you've got four of them underneath me right now!"

No sooner had she finished than the four shadow clones exploded out of the ground, attacking her from all sides at the same time. She performed a lightning fast roundhouse kick, making them all disappear in a cloud of smoke.

_None of them were the real one, she thought to herself as she looked around warily, so the only thing I can think of is that he was trying to use the smoke to conceal himself. But if that's true, he should be attacking right now and I can't sense him anywhere…_

The smoke dissipated and Tsunade found herself alone, wondering where Naruto was – until she saw the shadow around her feet getting bigger.

That meant an attack from above. Her face shot skyward and she performed a cross-hand block, just as Naruto brought his leg down in an overhead axe kick. The force of the blow cratered the ground and buried her feet up to her ankles.

Naruto backflipped through the air and Tsunade brought her arms down. From her shoulder to the tips of her fingers every inch was numb and she shook them vigorously, trying to get the feeling back.

_Damn, he's a lot stronger than when he left, Tsunade thought with a slight amount of bitterness, but why the hell couldn't I sense him? Is that something he learned while he was gone?_

"You need to step it up, Tsunade," Naruto replied as he smirked at her. "Everything you're showing me is old school. Stuff like that doesn't have a chance in hell of beating me, and you know it!"

_Cocky bastard. This fight is tough enough without him pointing out the obvious._

"You better pull something out of your little vault of secrets, because I'll have this fight won in fifteen minutes if you don't!"

_He's right. Other than catching him off guard with my speed, there's nothing I can surprise him with. Except for…_

"See, the problem is that I know all your moves, but you don't know all of mine. But I still have a feeling you're hiding something from me, Tsunade – and I have a sneaky suspicion as to what it might be. So, why don't we show each other some of our new moves? We can start things out with something small before we get into the big stuff. Someone as old as you would probably get tired anyway if we went all out from the get-go."

Tsunade remained on guard as Naruto ran through a few hand signs. Her apprehensive look quickly turned to shock when he said, "Earth Style: Quicksand Bog."

He kicked his foot forward, like he was scuffing it. Instantly, the ground turned to mud and raced like a river towards Tsunade. Her feet sunk up to her ankles and stuck like glue, immobilizing her. As she struggled to free herself, Naruto flashed through a second set of hand signs slammed his foot into the ground.

"Prison Dome."

A thick layer of stone rose up around Tsunade, encasing her in darkness. Now that she was trapped, Naruto began to flash through a few more hand signs, thinking he could use the dome to drain at least some of her chakra. He needed to be quick about it, since he wasn't dumb enough to believe the attack would hold her for long.

Before he could finish the dome exploded and Tsunade emerged, smudged with dirt in several places. The look she gave him would have withered a cactus. She flashed through a few hand signs and slammed her palms into the earth.

"Earth Style: Tearing Earth Spikes!"

The ground surrounding Naruto erupted into five foot long jagged spikes; each one aiming for a vital spot on his body. Moving quickly, Naruto threw his body into a spiraling somersault, dodging his way between some of the more dense patches with flexible side steps and jumps.

However, despite his rapid movement he was running out of room and it didn't take long before he was trapped in the center of the spikes. They continued to box him in, preventing his escape and within a matter of seconds he was surrounded. With a final surge from Tsunade, a jagged spike shot towards one of the few remaining openings, aiming for a non-vital area on his body. She figured if she could slow him down, even just a little bit she'd have a much better chance of winning this fight.

Just as the spike was about to pierce the opening, the entire structure exploded outward. Tsunade avoided most of the smaller chunks and used rapid fire punches to obliterate the bigger ones that were flying towards her. She suffered some minor cuts to her arms and legs from the few shards that made it through, but was otherwise unscathed.

To Kakashi, who was listening from his safe vantage point on a rock at the edge of the treeline, it sounded like a line of firecrackers going off as her fists made contact with the rocks hurtling towards her. He'd thought Tsunade was a bit past her prime, but it seemed he was premature in his assessment. The former Hokage was still pretty damn skilled and powerful.

In the middle of the clearing, Tsunade was marginally aware that Naruto was somewhere in the center of the explosion, no longer trapped by her technique. She knew she needed a follow-up jutsu to immobilize him, and fast. She quickly flashed through another set of hand signs and slammed her palms against the ground.

"Hands of Binding!"

Two large stone hands rose up from the earth and grabbed Naruto, pinning his arms to his sides and restraining any movement from the neck down. Panting slightly from exertion she walked slowly up to Naruto, who despite seeming to have just lost the fight, was grinning smugly from ear to ear.

The only thought running through her mind right now was how much she wanted to punch it off his face.

"Ha! I fucking knew it! I **knew** super strength and summoning Katsuyu weren't the only things you could do!" He shouted accusingly. "If you know earth jutsu, why the hell don't you ever use it?"

She paused a moment, knowing her next answer was going to sound ridiculous – but she said it anyway. "Because I'm not that good at it, that's why. You should've known that since you obviously suspected I could do it."

"Pfft." Naruto scoffed. "One of the Sannin – who also happens to be a Senju – saying they're not that good at earth jutsu still means upper chūnin or special jōnin at the very least."

Tsunade wasn't going to dignify that statement with a response. "Using my chakra for healing was…" She paused, wavering slightly on her feet, "…more important. Besides, Ōnoki was there anyway."

Naruto's grin weakened somewhat as he saw her sway the tiniest bit. Despite calling her old and constantly making fun of her age, it was easy to forget that she wasn't as young as she appeared.

"And just when did **_you_** learn earth jutsu?"

He tilted his head thoughtfully. "Oh, about two years after I left. I wanted to learn a second element, and the defensive stuff I could do with earth jutsu complimented my offensive wind attacks. I had some real good teachers, but it was still a bitch to learn."

"Well, whatever level you think my earth jutsu is at was good enough to catch _your_ ass. Now give up or I'll have those hands squeeze you like a grape until you pass out." She cracked her knuckles menacingly. "Or maybe I'll knock you out the traditional way with my fists. It'll be much more satisfying that way."

Naruto laughed derisively. "Yeah, right. You don't think I'll give up _that_ easily, do you? And where did you get the idea that I'm trapped?"

"Because you're encased in stone from the neck down, dumbass!"

Naruto cocked an eyebrow. "Then since you were **so** nice to show me one of your secrets, let me show you another one of mine."

Tsunade was shocked to see six shadow clones poof into existence around the stone hands. Each of them quickly formed a Rasengan and shattered the stone hands into hundreds of pieces. She shielded her eyes from the flying debris with her arms and when the cloud of dust settled Naruto standing in the center, casually brushing off his clothes.

"How did you create Kage Bunshin without hand signs?" Tsunade growled.

There was no way he was telling her about Saladin. "Oh, on my last trip out of the village someone taught me how to do it. It's just a simple mental adjustment, but it also takes twice as much chakra to do. You gotta be really proficient in whatever technique you try it with, though – otherwise all you'll do is give yourself a massive headache."

_She pressed her lips into a thin line as she continued to scrutinize his attitude and demeanor. He was already a major force to be reckoned with before he left, and now he can make himself practically undetectable and spam shadow clones without using hand signs? A shiver ran down her spine as she realized something. He's still hiding something. He's way too confident right now for this to be all he can do. Maybe that monster comment of his wasn't too far off. She fell back into her defensive stance and prepared for his next attack._

Once Naruto finished brushing off his clothes he noticed how Tsunade was standing. It seemed she was instinctively reverting back to what she was most familiar with – probably because she had no idea what else he could do, or was going to do next.

"Taijutsu again, Tsunade? I was hoping to see something new, but…" He moved into an offensive stance. "Okay. I know I wasn't a match for you before, but let's see if I am now."

At the far edge of the clearing, Kakashi watched as Naruto and Tsunade blurred, rushing towards each other faster than the normal eye could follow. Luckily enough, he had his Sharingan activated and could see the whole thing. He wasn't trying to copy anything; it was simply so he could judge things properly.

However, that didn't mean he wasn't interested in the fight. So far, other than revealing Naruto could do earth jutsu now – and getting Tsunade to cough up that little secret as well – the only thing new he'd shown was that he could make clones without hand signs.

The looks on their faces spoke volumes, though. Tsunade ground her teeth in anger and frustration as she threw blow after blow at Naruto, who in turn was grinning like a kid in a candy store as he blocked them all. Naruto loved a good fight, but even for someone like him the entire scene seemed a bit off. The grin, the posture, the way he was immersed in battle… Kakashi wondered what he was actually trying to accomplish…

_He hasn't augmented his speed once with his chakra interlacing technique. He hasn't used one forbidden or wind jutsu, which right now without a doubt are his strongest assets. He hasn't released one ounce of killing intent. He's just letting his anger build up below the surface, but why? For Tsunade to give up because she's too exhausted to go on? For her to finally get pissed off enough and really try to kill him? Or is he waiting for her to slip up and give him an opening in order to…_

No, that last part wasn't right. He'd seem plenty of openings that Naruto could have exploited with a small burst in speed…

"…Why?" Tsunade yelled, panting heavily as she threw a roundhouse kick at Naruto who, rather than duck underneath it blocked it with his shin.

"Why…" She threw several punches at his chest – which he blocked with his palms, very much like the Gentle Fist style.

"…can't I…" She launched a front leg kick at his stomach – which he deftly spun and avoided, before chopping his hand down on her ankle. Both of them heard a barely audible crack, signifying that the bone was either fractured or broken but Tsunade ignored it and kept attacking.

"…land one…" Hobbling on her good foot, she brought a knife hand down diagonally towards his shoulder which Naruto blocked with his forearm.

"…solid hit?" she finished in exasperation, throwing one last punch at his face to which he ducked and spun, driving an elbow into her stomach. Tsunade fell back a few steps as she rubbed the spot, trying to relieve the pain. "I should have broken at least a dozen bones in either your arms or legs by now!"

Naruto sighed in exasperation. "I told you that day in your office when you tried to punch me through a wall that I can make a pulse of chakra that disrupts your strength."

"That was in your hands!" She gingerly tested out her injured ankle, wincing a few times as she put her full weight on it. It didn't seem to be broken, but it still throbbed painfully. "You've been blocking me with your arms and legs – there's no way you can do that chakra disruption pulse on those parts of your body! Only the Hyūga are able to do that using their tenketsu and that kind of manipulation would be difficult, even for them!"

He snorted derisively. "I actually had no idea it was related to a person's tenketsu, but if the Hyūga can do it why not someone else? Who says after making the required seals, you have to focus your chakra at your hands? For example, you use your feet all the time for attacks, and Sasuke uses his mouth to make the Great Fireball Jutsu."

What Tsunade wasn't seeing right now was that despite his casual front, the spots where she hit him stung like hell. His chakra disruption pulse canceled out most of the damage, but it obviously still needed work because he was starting to bruise in several places. He also noticed that the area between the bruises was streaked with red, and it was starting to heat up rather painfully. It seemed that overuse of his chakra pulse created a backlash of energy – he'd never felt it before, probably because Kurama's chakra healed him so quickly but damn if it wasn't making a bad situation worse.

Between her attacks and the damage he'd inadvertently done to himself, he figured about ten to twenty percent of the damage she could have caused got through. But for a woman that could punch through solid stone like it was tissue paper, that amount was more than enough.

"That's still not every part in-between. And how can you not know about that? You're married to a Hyūga, for Kami's sake!"

"Give me some credit, Tsunade. Just because Hinata is my wife doesn't mean I'm just going to make her dish clan secrets left and right. I may not be what I once was, but I'm not **_that_** much of an asshole. Besides, you wouldn't believe how many weeks and hundreds of shadow clones it took me to finally get it down. Hanari is actually the one who taught it to me – she calls it 'Point of Origin', which is a much fancier name than I feel like using. Not only can she can focus it on any of the major parts of her body but also extensions of it, like weapons. Hell, she can even use the point of her sword if she wants to. I'm not nearly as good as she is, but I can still manage to do it in most of my arms and legs. Didn't you wonder why I was protecting my head and chest more than usual?"

_Interesting, Kakashi thought as he read their lips from across the clearing with his Sharingan. I've never heard of such a skill, but that explains why Hanari can use her feet to perform her jutsu. I wonder if she uses it to enhance her defensive capabilities? Not that they need help in the first place. Hitting her was like punching a steel wall._

"With anybody else I'd say they're bluffing, but with you I'd have to believe it. Lying is beyond your brain capacity with that thick skull of yours."

"I'll take a thick skull over senility any day."

"Wise ass. So now what?" she asked scathingly, feeling every bit as frustrated and helpless as she did when Pain attacked the village. Other than the bruises she could see, it didn't look like she'd made a dent in anything else – especially his ego. "You think that just because you can stop my punches and kicks that I can't touch you? Think again!"

A small smile played across the corners of Naruto's mouth. "I doubt you can come up with anything that'll surprise me, but I'll take pity on you and let you catch your breath while you set it up. I even promise not to attack while you do…" He made an 'X' sign on his chest. "…cross my heart, Hokage's honor and all that."

Tsunade glared daggers at him while she partially activated her Hyakugou, healing her injured ankle along with several other minor injuries. Naruto watched as what appeared to be steam emanated from the wounds as she flew through a few hand signs and slammed her palms into the ground.

"Earth Style: Giant Earth Pillars!"

Six pillars of hardened stone shot up in a semicircle around her, each one roughly about three feet square. As Naruto wondered what she was up to, she pulled eight shuriken out of the pouch tied to her leg and tossed them lightly into the air. Her hands blurred as they darted towards each one.

She held up her hands when she finished, showing him that one shuriken was now on each finger. Naruto cocked an eyebrow in confusion – until she closed them into fists. The razor sharp edges bit into her flesh and Tsunade hissed through her teeth. She continued to clench them tightly, blood dripping through her fingers from her self-inflicted wounds…

…and then her chakra suddenly spiked – enough so that her body was giving off a visible aura…

…and Naruto suddenly realized what she'd done, and how far she was willing to go to win this fight.

Through an incredible amount of pain Tsunade, without any other resources available had created Shinobi Claws. So even though he could use his chakra disruption pulse to cancel out her strength, she'd still carve out a good portion of his flesh if she landed a hit. _Literally._

He also realized his promise of allowing Tsunade time to catch her breath and set this up was a huge mistake.

The huge amount of chakra pumping through her system gave her a boost of both strength **and** speed. She vanished and reappeared right in front of him, swinging her fist at his chest.

**_FUCK!_** Naruto swore internally as he tried to dodge it, but he was too slow. Her homemade claws ripped four furrows horizontally across his chest, and Tsunade followed that with an uppercut which he barely managed to avoid. A fraction of a second slower and she'd have perforated the bottom of his chin.

The next two minutes were spent with Naruto trying his best to dodge Tsunade's lightning fast fists. Without Kurama's chakra flowing through his system to heal him instantly, blocking her with any part of his body would basically amount to painful mutilation on an immense scale.

The unfortunate part in all of this was that he hadn't had a chance to extend his chakra interlacing technique to help boost his speed, and Tsunade was pushing herself to the extreme. Right now, they were practically even but it wasn't stopping her from landing the occasional blow – his arms and legs were already cut in half a dozen places. He needed to put some space between them so that he could regroup, before she carved him up like a plate of sushi.

Naruto leaned back, dodging her next swing and kicked his feet into her stomach, launching her backwards. He flipped up, just in time to see her slam into a large tree at the edge of the clearing. He quickly flashed through six hand signs and buried his arms in the ground up to his elbows.

"Earth Style: Stone Cestus."

When he pulled them out, each forearm was encased in black stone. The knuckles and backs of his hands were studded with spikes but the fingers were surprisingly thin compared to the rest, signifying he could still do hand signs for jutsu if he wanted.

Tsunade got up and walked slowly back across the clearing, a bit winded and wincing in pain. "Didn't like the fact that I caught you off guard? Is that why you kicked me across the clearing like a soccer ball?"

"Oh, that's not it at all." Naruto said calmly, as he walked towards her. "I just needed a way to defend myself – and I don't feel like breaking out any of my bigger jutsu just yet. This way, I can keep you from filleting me with those homemade claws of yours," he said, flexing his fingers as he tested them out. He raised his chakra pressure, matching Tsunade's. "Ready to get started again?"

She didn't even bother to answer… deciding to attack him instead. Her form blurred as she ran towards him and Naruto met her in the middle. The force of their initial blow sounded like an explosion went off; the shockwave spreading outwards and causing the trees to bend and sway. Kakashi himself would have been thrown from his perch on the rock he was sitting on had he not been anchoring himself there with his chakra.

Tsunade was giving everything she had; throwing punches and kicks at various parts of his body. While Naruto was using his cestus to block most of them she did get lucky and land a few blows on his legs. Thinking that might be a weak spot in his defense, she focused a greater amount of her attacks there. Naruto noticed and adjusted his defensive pattern, but refused to leave the upper part of his body vulnerable because she was still mixing things up. When she feinted low and lashed out at his chest, hoping to catch him unaware he was somewhat gratified at his decision not to let his guard down.

Naruto also noticed that ironically enough, she was keeping away from the seal on his stomach – probably still thinking that if she cut it, Kurama might seep out. After that whole ceremony he went through the day after the wedding, he didn't know if that was true or not but he sure as hell wasn't eager to find out. He'd probably die from the experience and right now with Hinata, Hikaru and two children on the way, he had far too much to live for.

He almost laughed at that last part. It wasn't that long ago when he'd have given anything to just end it all. Now, in such a short amount of time his world had turned completely on its ear. He couldn't envision a life without his family.

Funny how things seemed to work out in his favor for once. And he was very happy it did.

The thought of his smiling wife and son caused him to lose focus and Tsunade pounced on the opening like a rabid dog. With a battle cry and a surge of adrenaline, she doubled the amount of chakra being sent to her legs and slammed her foot into the underside of his jaw, launching him into the air.

**_You never learn, do you Naruto? Kurama criticized him. The Mienai Segi taught you never to lose focus, even for a second…_**

_Damn it Kurama, I know! I just need to get back on the ground so I can…_

**_I don't think the female will afford you that option. Look down._**

He did, noticing that Tsunade had flung the shuriken off her fingers. The myriad amount of deep cuts and slashes that littered her hands steamed and closed almost instantly thanks to her Hyakugou and once that was done, she turned and wrapped her arms around the nearest stone pillar.

With a grunt and a tremendous heave, she broke the pillar off at the base and swung it like a bat… directly at his head. It shattered as it made contact, and his skull exploded with pain as he rocketed downwards and slammed into the ground. Dizzy and disoriented, he struggled to get up but just as he did she grabbed another pillar, swinging it at his left side. Just like the first one, it shattered – along with half of the bones in his arm.

She continued her barrage with the four remaining pillars, and at the end of it all he was barely standing. The gauntlets covering his hands had shattered to pieces after the fourth blow. Blood was dripping down his face from a wound on his head. His left arm was broken in several places. His left hip and ribs were fractured. And to top it all off, Kurama was lecturing him about being an overconfident moron, which is why he got his ass kicked…

Tsunade tossed aside the remains of the last pillar and fixed him with an icy stare. "Give it up, Naruto. Even with that thick skull of yours, I know I hit you hard enough that you have a concussion and can't focus properly. I also know your left arm is broken, which means you can't do any jutsu. You're favoring your right side which means your left leg, rib, hip or a combination of them are either fractured or broken. You may have your healing factor but without Kurama's help, there's no way you can fix the damage before I punch your lights out. I'm in much better shape than you are. Admit it – I've won."

"Oh, Tsunade…" He closed his eyes and shook his head disapprovingly, "There's no way I'll say that. You'll have to kill me first. Besides…"

Tsunade watched him guardedly as he paused, wondering what he was up to to. He could barely stand with all the damage she'd given him.

"…I'm far from helpless," he growled, as his eyelids snapped back open. The look he gave her was cold and merciless. "I think it's about time you saw what I'm truly capable of."

…and then a shiver ran up her spine as Tsunade began to feel it.

In the past, when she'd wanted to scare the living shit out of whatever hopeless fool she was fighting against, she would simply increase her chakra pressure and killing intent to levels that could only be matched by a select group of people.

The other Kage… Several S-Rank shinobi… Hell, there were even some elite jōnin that could come close, like Darui and Kurotsuchi…

It wasn't so much the size of the technique as much as the sensation. Like you were buried underneath several tons of rubble in a small cave with a pack of rabid wolves. Like you were about to be torn apart but couldn't move because you were paralyzed by fear.

Depending on how much weaker her opponent was – along with the last time they had evacuated their bowels – that person either soiled themselves or simply passed out. Sometimes a combination of both. She'd even done it in a few gambling parlors she'd lost a massive amount of money in so that she could escape without making good on her debts.

…but this sensation was different. Not like you were struggling under a massive weight or ready to be mauled, but that the area around you seemed to be alive. Like the air was saturated with a conscious presence. And that nothing was beyond its reach.

It seeped into the ground… hovered in the space between the blades of grass and leaves on the trees… and extended into the sky.

And while nothing could be seen by either his regular or Sharingan eye, Kakashi stared in awe at his surroundings.

_I… I can sense it! I can actually _**_sense_**_ it! Not as a whole, but individually… I can actually feel his chakra extending out and weaving between the tendrils of natural energy. I guess all that training with Sasuke is starting to pay off, but Kami! The size of what he's doing is unbelievable! Hanari can't even come close to this!_

"Well done, Tsunade. You gave me exactly what I was hoping for." Naruto said darkly, as he stared menacingly at her. His eyes had turned such a dark shade of blue as to almost appear black, and Tsunade took a half-step back, faltering slightly under the intensity of his gaze.

"I gave you a chance to prove your resolve… your desire to be forgiven by me. I wondered if you'd truly give me your all, or just some half-assed attempt, hoping that I'd have pity and go easy on you. But I gotta admit you surprised me – and I have the bruises to prove it."

_He's pushing it outward…_ Kakashi said to himself as the wind around them started to pick up. It began to howl as it revolved around Naruto who was standing in the epicenter. _Not only to the area surrounding him…_

Tsunade used her forearms to protect her eyes and anchored her feet with her chakra, stubbornly refusing to concede even an inch of ground.

"Even though I had four decades of youth on my side, you didn't hesitate to fight me. That takes guts." Naruto continued, his voice taking on a heavier cadence as he started to flash through hand signs with his one good hand. "But I'm tired of feeling angry and frustrated towards you, and I'm tired of seeing the guilt and shame on your face whenever we're around each other. That's why we're here. I figured the best way to work our differences out is with a good old-fashioned brawl."

…_but to the sky as well._ Kakashi sensed Naruto's chakra as it wove into the very air. The sky growled as the technique pushed – or maybe knocked was a better term – against the area above them. The sparse amount of clouds increased in size and grew darker; like they were angry that someone was waking them up from a peaceful afternoon nap.

_Of course he can do one-handed signs, Tsunade thought bitterly, as she struggled against the howling wind. Why would I think otherwise if he can do jutsu without any hand signs at all?_

_Another growl of anger… Another knock, stronger and heavier this time… The clouds grew bigger still, and took on a blackish-purple hue._

"And now, since I have no other options, I can finally let the monster loose…" Naruto spiked his chakra pressure, causing Tsunade to gasp and even making Kakashi flinch. It was strong enough that if he hadn't promised not to do so earlier, they'd swear he was accessing some of Kurama's chakra.

The wind surrounding them, which had been picking up speed was now just shy of hurricane status, and showed no signs of stopping. Rather than Tsunade fighting to stay in place the air was doing that for her, keeping her rooted to the spot and not allowing her the opportunity to move in any direction. Substitution Jutsu wasn't an option either, since she was using every ounce of concentration, along with her chakra enhanced strength to remain standing. And she'd be damned if she dropped to one knee in front of him, giving him even the slightest hint of victory.

_A third knock, laced with power…_ The clouds filled the sky, blotting out the sun. They began to contort into the shape of a face; one that appeared to have demonic eyes and a mouth full of serrated teeth that stretched from ear to ear. The remainder of the clouds swirled around the face, making the entire scene five times more horrifying than before.

_A final growl of anger, and a roar of thunder…_

"…I can finally show you how strong I've become." He finished his last hand sign and pointed towards the sky…

**_"Forbidden Art: Wind Devastation."_**

The mouth on the face in the clouds opened wide and three tornadoes bore down on Tsunade, who was still pinned in place by the tremendous force of the gale winds. Once they touched down they began to grind against one another, like they were fighting for dominance. A good comparison would be three Hyūga performing the Kaiten against each other at the same time in a no holds barred sparring match.

Kakashi could only watch in both shock and horror as the cluster of tornadoes filled the clearing from edge to edge – three hundred yards of pure destructive power that uprooted trees and rocks, pulling them into the vortex and bombarding Tsunade, who was somewhere in the spinning mass of chaos. If her Hyakugou hadn't been activated, Tsunade wouldn't stand a chance against such a powerful and deadly technique.

Fortunately, Naruto didn't let the jutsu last that long. After about a minute he stopped pumping chakra into the jutsu and it expired quickly; reducing itself to nothing more than a light breeze within ten seconds. He also stopped using his killing intent, ending it at the same time the wind finally died down.

When everything finally settled, Kakashi covered his Sharingan back up and both he and Naruto walked towards the crater that had been formed in the wake of the destruction. Well, Naruto actually hobbled towards the center, since his left side was still severely injured. When they got there they found Tsunade lying in the center. The left side of her face was bruised and swollen. Her left arm was bent at awkward angles, signifying multiple broken bones. They could tell her right hip was dislocated, because her right ankle was propped next to her head. Her body was dotted with ugly yellow and purple bruises.

And the Hyakugou on her forehead wasn't a diamond anymore, but instead had been reduced to merely a small dot.

All in all, it wasn't a very pleasant sight.

Naruto sighed heavily. "Kakashi-sensei," he said in a voice laced with regret, "can you please check out Tsunade and make sure her vitals are reasonably stable? I… can't kneel down at the moment."

Numb to what he just witnessed, Kakashi could only nod in agreement as he began to work. "Naruto, that… that jutsu was… I just don't…"

"You don't need to say anything else. I know it was impressive, in addition to being scary as hell. That's not even the extent of what I can do, though. Chakra interlacing really pumps up the power on a jutsu like that. I'd probably max out around nine of those tornadoes before I started to suffer from chakra exhaustion. And I don't even know how big I could make it if I used Kurama's chakra because I've never really tried." He motioned his head towards Tsunade. "What's the verdict?"

"Her pulse is running high, but it's stable. Her breathing is labored – I'm guessing a few cracked ribs at least. With the way her face looks, I'm pretty sure she has a concussion but I don't know how bad it is. I don't think that's the reason why she's unconscious, though. It's probably from the large amount of pain and injuries she received."

"Then let's get her to the hospital," he said sadly. "If you wouldn't mind, pick her up but be careful of her leg. I have enough chakra to get us all there using the Hiraishin, and then after that I'm heading to my office so that Kurama can patch me up."

Kakashi gently moved Tsunade's leg into the proper position. He knew from personal experience that a dislocated hip hurt like hell. "You don't sound very happy," he said as he picked up the former Hokage bridal style. "I thought this is what you wanted."

Naruto shook his head. "No, it's not. I mean, yes it is – sort of. I wanted to stop feeling so… **angry** at her all the time, and I could tell the guilt and regret over what she did was eating her up inside. I wanted all that gone and like I said, I figured a fight would be pretty… um, what's the word you used once? Cathartic? But I also wanted her to see what all that pain and suffering turned me into. I may not have to worry about Kurama anymore, but there's still a different monster I have to control."

"I kept my emotions in check for most of the fight, but at the end I felt like I was drowning in battle lust and lost it. I went too far with one of my forbidden jutsu, even if I did keep the scale of it rather small." He hung his head in shame. "This is the reason why everyone in the Mienai Segi are taught control before anything else. If I'd done something like that in front of Saladin, he'd have made sure I was bedridden for a month, even **with** my healing factor."

"I think I understand now. Chakra interlacing enhances the attack power of practically any jutsu to some degree or another, and not only are the forbidden jutsu A-rank or above to begin with, but they're also fueled by emotions. Without control…" Kakashi shuddered as he realized that if left unchecked, Naruto probably could destroy a good portion, if not all of Konoha with them – especially if you threw the power of the Kyuubi into the mix. "You think you've gotten it all out of your system now? I'd hate to see anyone else try to fight you if this happens again."

Naruto frowned at the question. It was pointed and direct, but necessary considering the circumstances. "Yeah. Yeah, I have." He could honestly say that this was one of the least proud moments he'd ever had in his life. "I'll have a talk with her when she wakes up. I think she deserves to know about the Mienai Segi. And a lot of other things."

He placed his hand on Kakashi's shoulder and in a flash of yellow light they found themselves at the entrance to the hospital. "Have them send for Sakura to treat Tsunade. She's the best we've got and I'm not putting Tsunade's life in anyone else's hands. If you need me, you know where I'll be."

Kakashi fully expected Naruto to use the Hiraishin once again but was a bit surprised when Naruto turned and limped down the street towards the Hokage Tower, wincing with every step.

For a brief second he took in the strange sight before turning and walking swiftly but carefully into the hospital. He'd think about it later. Right now, Tsunade needed medical attention and that was more important than his curiosity.

* * *

Hanari stirred as she cracked her eyelids open. The first thing she noticed was the light – it wasn't necessarily blinding, but it was brighter than she felt it needed to be. She blinked her eyes a few times and once they adjusted, her gaze wandered around the room she was in.

_Fluorescent lights. Ceiling and walls painted white. Every surface disgustingly clean. Machines beeping incessantly._

She was in the hospital. Fuck. She hated hospitals. Especially when she was a patient.

Her head was held in place by a neck brace, so slight movement to the left or right was all she could manage. That meant she couldn't even see what condition she was in. Her arm movement seemed to be restricted too. She could tell there were three IV needles in her, and one of them had to be a morphine drip because she couldn't feel any pain right now.

_She gingerly turned her head in the direction of the window to look at the sky. Dark grey… Shit. It's gotta be around six o'clock at night. I've been out of it all day._

The sound of a door opening caused her to turn her head back, which she did quicker than she should have. She squeezed her eyes shut and groaned in pain – apparently the morphine could only do so much. When she opened her eyes again she saw Kakashi standing at the foot of the bed with a cup of coffee in his hand.

"Hey."

"Hey yourself," Kakashi replied. "How long have you been up?"

"Only a few minutes." She groaned again in pain. "What's the damage? I'd look for myself, but…"

Kakashi chuckled knowingly. "No problem. You obviously know about the neck brace, but your arms and upper chest are in a cast. You have four fractured ribs. A minor concussion." He leered as he lifted her sheet. "A bruised pelvis. And your left leg is in a cast as well. The catheter is a real mood killer, though."

"Great. Just the way every girl dreams about spending her time," Hanari said petulantly. "Holed up in a hospital, unable to move and pissing through a tube. The food here might be the deciding factor in killing me."

"The concussion being only minor was the real surprise, apparently," he said as he lowered the sheet. "Kurenai said you've got the hardest head she's ever seen. Guy broke his leg when he kicked you in the air."

"Well, you should know firsthand about that. You punched me in the head, what… half a dozen times in our fight and I didn't pass out?

"Point taken."

Hanari shifted uncomfortably in her bed as she gave Kakashi a sideways glance. "I had a very interesting conversation with Kurenai and Guy earlier today. They both think you unintentionally threw our fight – mainly because you were afraid of screwing up your chances with me if you somehow got a lucky hit in and managed to hurt me."

Kakashi took a swig of coffee and nodded his head. "Yeah, pretty much," he said uncomfortably. "I kind of figured that out a few days later. I was going to tell you about it when I showed up that day at the house, but you weren't giving me a chance to explain myself, and then Reira kinda made it a moot point."

_So they_ **_were_** _right,_ Hanari thought as she fixed him with a steely gaze. "When I get out of here you owe me a rematch, Scarecrow," she huffed. "There's no way I'm accepting a tainted victory like that."

He eye-smiled at her. "You got it. Besides, that'll give me enough time to finish learning chakra interlacing, since you'll be in here for another month."

Hanari had another sharp retort planned but Kakashi's demeanor suddenly changed. He was a lot more somber than usual – even counting the day she'd almost rejected him. She watched as he walked listlessly over to the chair next to her bed and sat down, still eyeing his coffee cup.

This wasn't like him. His usual playful banter and jabs to her biting retorts and snide comments were nowhere to be seen. He looked like Konoha just banned the sale of those Icha Icha novels he loved to read.

"So… does this mean we're breaking up?"

"What?" she demanded as loud as she could manage. The cast around her chest didn't allow for very deep breaths. "Where the hell did you get that idea?"

Kakashi shrugged his shoulders dejectedly. "Well, you've got your rules, don't you? And unless Kurenai lied to me earlier, you just got beat by Guy and his flames of youth…"

_"YYYOOOOOOOUUUUUUUTTTHHH!"_ Guy shouted from somewhere down the hall.

_"Nurse, I thought I told you to sedate that patient!"_

_"I did, doctor! I gave him the standard dose of Midazolam. Twice! He should be unconscious right now!"_

_"Well, give him another shot and double the dosage. I don't need to hear him screaming the word 'youth' at the top of his lungs every five minutes."_

_"yyyooooouuuuutthh…"_

Hanari stared at the door throughout the entire exchange with a stupefied expression on her face.

"Okay, that was… disturbing on a number of levels."

"Eh. You get used to it after a while. Why do you think I tune him out so often? It's the only option I have left."

That certainly explained his indifference, or why he always had his face buried in an Icha Icha novel whenever Guy was in the same room. Of course, that last one carried other fringe benefits with it that she enjoyed…

"You still haven't answered my question." Kakashi pressed her.

Despite the fact that her neck was starting to throb from moving so much, she turned her head to look him in the eye. Even though she'd known him less than a year – and they were intimate on a regular basis – she still hadn't memorized all his little quirks and mannerisms. But what she saw would be easy for _anyone_ to spot.

_He was scared._ Not the 'facing death' kind of scared, but instead that something precious would be taken away from him… that he'd lose something that made his life bearable instead of a lonely existence.

He was afraid of losing her. And surprisingly enough, she felt the same way about him. Her look and tone softened as she realized exactly what that meant.

"Kakashi," she said gently, "I decided to push my rules aside that night on the Hokage Monument. I wasn't ready to give them up completely because they were such a big part of who and what I was but now, I... I don't think I have that problem anymore. If I had to choose between you and those rules, well then… I choose you."

"I know I can be obnoxious at times. Gruff. Abrasive. Vulgar. There's a whole list of words out there you can take your pick from. I'm definitely the product of a shitty life, but you… you put up with me. You treat me with respect, and not because you're scared of me or how good I am in a fight, but because you genuinely seem to care about me. I'm… actually pretty happy, and there's no way I'm giving something like that up. I waited too long to get it."

A look of relief washed over his features at her answer. He stood up and reached out with his hand, gently stroking her hair. "Thank you for saying that. However, I couldn't help but notice your answer was rather long and detailed. Is there any particular… emotion driving your reason for doing that?"

Hanari knew what he was hinting at. Other than the love for her daughter, caring for someone this deeply was something she had very little experience with. The few times she'd done so triggered painful memories of the people who'd used it against her. To manipulate her. To hurt her.

She didn't think for a moment Kakashi would do anything like that, but it was a huge mental block that she was having a hard time getting past. She stared back at him with pleading eyes – begging him to let this go, since she wasn't ready to confront this particular demon just yet.

Kakashi saw the panicked look on her face and eye-smiled. "Okay – I get it, I get it." He said soothingly, still stroking her hair. "You don't have to say anything. But just so you know, I might have something to say back when you're finally ready to speak up."

She smiled back at him. "Thanks. Listen – while I'm in here, can you… take care of Reira?"

"Umm… Sure." He said, puzzled. "But what about Naruto, Hinata and Hikaru? Any reason why you're asking me and not them? You guys live in their house, after all."

"I think it might be a good idea for the two of you to hang out together, since I plan on keeping you around for a good, long while."

"Then in that case, I'd be happy to," he said, pulling his mask down and kissing her.

"Ow."

"Sorry. I didn't know your lips hurt too."

"Apology accepted. Can you do two things for me?" Hanari asked.

"Name it."

"First, can you press the morphine button for me? I think I need another dose."

Kakashi chuckled. "Sure. No problem." He reached over to fetch the plunger from where it had fallen on the bed. He clicked it twice and placed it in one of her hands. "What's the second thing?"

"Can you kiss me again before the morphine kicks in? I'd like to be able to feel it before my lips go numb."

Kakashi gave another small laugh. "Absolutely," he said as he complied with her request.

"Ow."

"Sorry."

"That's okay. The pain was totally worth it."

* * *

It was seven o'clock at night and for the last ten minutes Naruto had been standing outside his house, trying to work up the courage to open the front door. He'd been toying with the idea of staying in a local hotel until he left for Kirigakure but he had to go home sooner or later, and postponing the inevitable would only make things worse.

The reason behind his hesitation was simple. He'd talked to Kurama earlier.

After telling Mina to divert anyone who came to see him to Shikamaru instead, and that he wasn't to be disturbed except for the most dire of emergencies, he trudged into his office and locked the door before sprawling out on the couch in order to heal and reflect on the unprecedented level of stupidity he pulled at the end of the fight with Tsunade.

He didn't think his day could get any worse… until Kurama irritatingly decided to add his two cents to his misery, saying that earlier he _hadn't_ shut the amalgamation seal down in time and something _had_ indeed made it through.

**_This doesn't look good for you, Naruto. You may be faster and more powerful than her, but there is not a place in the elemental nations you can go to escape her wrath. I doubt there is anyone who would trade places with you, no matter what amount of incentive was offered._**

So on the other side of that door was Hinata who was probably worried sick about him, knew something had happened, had wild mood swings that came with being pregnant with twins, and possessed one of the more advanced Byakugan in the village. He couldn't think of a more volatile situation.

And he had no one to blame for his current predicament but himself. Sighing one last time in resignation, he opened the door and walked into his house. As expected, Hinata was sitting in the living room, waiting for him to return.

"Naruto-kun!" she exclaimed, getting up as fast as she could and running awkwardly over to her husband. She clasped her arms around his chest and hugged him tightly. "What happened today? A small spike of emotions came through the seal this morning, and I was worried about you. Are you all right?"

"I'm fine Hinata, I'm fine." He said in as upbeat a manner as he could manage. "I just got a little carried away during a spar this morning and forgot to shut the seal down. Sorry about that."

"A sparring match? With who?"

Naruto flinched inwardly. She wasn't going to let this go. Time for evasive maneuvers. "It's really not important. Hey, is there any dinner left? I know I'm late getting home, but I didn't stop anywhere to eat and I'm starving…"

Hinata held him in place, forcing him to face her. "Naruto-kun," she said firmly, "whatever came through the seal earlier made my arm go numb for a few minutes. There were many emotions, but it was the anger I felt that concerned me the most. It upsets me when you feel that way. Now tell me… **who** were you sparring with?"

And of course, the legendary Hyūga stubbornness was now out in full force. Wonderful.

"Tsunade," he said after a moment's hesitation. "I was sparring with Tsunade."

Hinata stared at him in shock. "You… You were sparring with Lady Tsunade? While you were _that_ angry? Why?"

"We… just had some things to work out, that's all."

"That doesn't make any sense, Naruto-kun. After yesterday at Neji and Tenten's house, I thought you two were getting along better. What happened to change that?"

"Nothing, it's just… I couldn't think of… I mean, I wanted to…" he said haltingly as he rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Look Hinata, can we talk about something else? It's been a really bad day, and…"

That was clearly the wrong thing to say, because her disposition instantly changed from lukewarm to slightly above freezing. Hinata's look hardened and she fixed him with a withering gaze.

"Naruto. I refuse to be pushed aside. You're not doing this to me again."

_Shit, he thought to himself, she didn't use 'kun' after my name. She must be _**_really_**_ pissed at me. If she starts using my _**_full_**_ name I'm totally screwed._

"I know that during your time in the Mienai Segi you were in charge of a squad. You were entrusted with their safety. You're the Hokage now, and you hold the lives of many more people in your hands. There are decisions you have to make solely on your own. I understand and accept this, but I am not just some shinobi under your command and protection. I am also your very pregnant wife, who is supposed to be your partner for life in all things that concern us both."

"But for some reason, more often than not you still have a problem trusting me with some things, no matter how great or small they may be. Do you remember saying to me once that you wanted me to walk beside you, and not behind you in our marriage? I have involved you in every aspect of my life and yet you refuse to do it yourself. Even though the seal on our hands links our souls, there are parts of you that still remain closed off and that's simply not fair."

"You never told me the true reason behind the meetings with my father. Never once did you tell me about how Hikaru is a fūinjutsu prodigy, or that he was working in secret on a way to break the caged bird seal. I had no idea there was a contract to make Neji the next head of the clan if Hikaru succeeded. Even something as trivial as offering one of our guest rooms to Sasuke all of those times he needed a place to stay overnight… Would it have hurt for you to ask me, even once? To trust me, like I trust you?"

Naruto kept his mouth shut as Hinata continued to chastise him. There was nothing he could say in his defense. Life in the Mienai Segi was very similar to the ANBU. Information was given only to a select few. Trust no one outside of your group. Be wary of those who were in it. Never let your guard down, whether it be emotionally or physically, even for a moment.

It was probably why other than Saladin, members of the Mienai Segi tended to be overbearing and antisocial with people in general. Some, like Gideon could add the terms maniacal and sadistic to the list.

Hinata was the one person on earth that he should trust implicitly for an untold number of reasons. And she deserved better than the half-hearted attempt he'd given her so far.

"So I will ask you one more time," she somehow managed to say in a voice that was calm, serene and terrifying all at the same time, "What did Lady Tsunade do to make you angry enough so that you decided to have a sparring match with her today?"

Naruto sweatdropped. "She didn't do anything, really. I mean, I've been pretty much mad at her since the day before I left for my mission and I just… I got tired of being angry with her, and seeing the guilt and shame on her face whenever we were near each other. I was frustrated because nothing was helping her understand how much it hurt – and what that did to me." He hung his head in shame. "I figured a… _spirited fight_ between the two of us would be the best way to just get it out of our systems and be done with it, but in the end I… I almost lost control."

Hinata stared impassively at him for a few seconds. Naruto could tell by the look on her face that she clearly wasn't happy with his answer.

"And where is Lady Tsunade now?"

Naruto swallowed nervously. "She's in the hospital. Room 530. I made sure Sakura is her attending physician because she's the best healer we've got after Tsunade."

Hinata paused for a moment as she took that in. "So let me get this straight," she asked icily, "sometime between yesterday, when Hikaru removed the caged bird seal from Neji and this morning, you came up with the outlandish notion of having a sparring match with Lady Tsunade. You did this because you wanted a way to release all that pent up aggression you were harboring towards her. Both you and Lady Tsunade knew the fight would tilt heavily in your favor, but you made your ridiculous request anyway and for some unknown reason she agreed. However, I have no doubt you offered something extremely tempting to convince her to accept. You selfishly decided all of this on your own without even considering talking to me about it first because to **you**, my opinion wasn't important enough to have mattered in the slightest."

Naruto opened his mouth to say something and then quickly shut it. She was right about most of it except for that last part – he just hadn't thought of asking her, period. But giving her that answer would be just as dangerous, if not more so than her assumption.

"And then, you lost control of yourself during the fight and Lady Tsunade ended up in the hospital. Her injuries were bad enough that you specifically asked for Sakura, rather than let the physician on duty handle it. And you conveniently did all this two days before you're supposed to leave for Kirigakure to see that man-stealing slut, the Mizukage." She purposely crossed her hands in front of her chest – specifically, right below her breasts and right above her slightly noticeable baby bump, hoping the significance of it wasn't lost on her husband. "Was my summary correct, or did I miss anything?"

"Er, well…" he said, squirming uncomfortably beneath her gaze, "I don't think I'd call Mei Terumi a man-stealing…"

Hinata gave him a look that meant he should stop talking immediately, so he snapped his mouth shut. Referring to the Mizukage by her real name probably didn't help matters either. Sweat began to trickle down the back of his neck as she took a step forward, so that she was within inches of his face.

"Who will be your escort when you go to Kirigakure?"

He hesitated a second before answering. He'd never seen Hinata this angry before, and it was scaring the living shit out of him. Not to mention the fact that she was constantly switching between demanding answers and telling him to shut up. His only saving grace was that she couldn't do any jutsu for the next few months since she was pregnant.

"I'm… I'm just taking a few of the ANBU. Nothing special."

She cocked an eyebrow. "Are Lee or Kiba in the village?"

"Uh, Lee is. Kiba's on a mission in the Land of Iron. Why?"

"Because you're taking Lee with you to Kiri," Hinata said calmly before turning and walking into the bedroom.

"Huh? Why? C'mon, Hinata! He's our friend, but you know how he is! All he'll do for the week or so that we're gone is go on and on about the flames of youth!"

Her voice wafted from the bedroom. "Which is why he'll be going with you on your mission – as well as to keep an eye on things. Lee will have no problems being honest and telling me, or anyone else who asks about what happened during your… visit."

_Translation: Lee is going as punishment. He will be keeping an eye on you. And you will keep the Mizukage at arm's length. Or else._

Hinata came out of the bedroom, carrying a pillow and some blankets. "Tomorrow, you will apologize to Lady Tsunade for what you have done. You will find a way to make it up to her. And you will never… **ever…** make the mistake of not talking to me again." She thrust the pillow and blankets into his hands. "For the next seven days you're sleeping on the couch." Then she turned and walked back into the bedroom, slamming the door behind her.

Naruto looked up the stairs. _Well, I can..._

"And don't think of using any of the guest rooms, either!"

_Damn. Well, I can always..._

"And you're not going to crash at one of our friend's houses!"

_Okay, but I can still..._

"And if I catch you renting a hotel room, your punishment will be doubled!"

_Well, at least I'm going to Kirigakure in a few days. My punishment will be up by the time..._

"And you will finish your punishment when you get back from Kiri!"

Naruto sighed and began to turn the couch into a makeshift bed. It was going to be a long, uncomfortable week.

* * *

Shikamaru had gotten into the office early to go over a fresh batch of intelligence reports that had come in overnight. Normally he would be in at his regular time, but these reports dealt with outside activities that were linked in one way or another to high profile individuals within the village. That made them important enough to get him out of bed before dawn broke over Konoha.

Temari hadn't been very happy about it and honestly, he wasn't either. He would have preferred to remain in bed with his wife. Mornings were when Temari tended to be at her most calm – as long as he continued to fund her weird cravings. Really, who in the world thinks watermelon dipped in honey mustard sauce is a good combination?

He moved from his desk over to his custom Shōgi board, contemplating several pieces and the individuals they represented. This particular analysis might take a bit longer than usual, since three of the pieces seemed to be working together in conjunction with a fourth, who was suspected of bartering information on Konoha to a source based near Kusagakure…

His thoughts were interrupted as Naruto entered his office, although his appearance reminded Shikamaru more of someone who just woke up after a night of binge drinking rather than the Hokage. His hair was ragged, there were large bags under his eyes, his clothes were wrinkled and he clearly had a kink in his lower back by the way he was favoring it.

"I'd say good morning Naruto, but that clearly isn't true in your case." His eyebrows rose skyward. "Dare I ask why you look like that? I have a theory, but if you'd rather not say I'll understand."

Naruto slowly sat down in the chair opposite Shikamaru and absently began to rub the spot on his back. "No, whatever you're thinking is probably right. Hinata's pissed at me, and for good reason."

"Hinata is mad at you? I didn't think that was even possible."

"Me either, but apparently I pushed her over an edge that I should have known existed. I'm sleeping on the couch for the next week because of it."

"Ouch," Shikamaru teased. "This doesn't have anything to do with you putting Tsunade in the hospital yesterday, does it?"

"How did you…?" Naruto shook his head. "Never mind. I did hire you to be an information specialist, after all. But I'm thinking something needs to be done to keep that brain of yours from giving you a swelled head."

"Naruto…" Shikamaru said impassively, "Don't tell me you've forgotten who my mother is. Or who I'm married to. Or what condition she's in."

"Oops. Yeah, good point. I'd have to agree that Temari's got that area covered."

"So just out of curiosity, what's wrong with your back?" Shikamaru motioned towards the spot Naruto was still rubbing. "With as fast as you heal, any problems should have been fixed within a few minutes of you waking up this morning."

Naruto shrugged his shoulders. "Call it a self-imposed punishment. Hinata probably would have suggested it anyways. She said I need to apologize to Tsunade and find a way to make it up to her, and even before she gave me an ultimatum I was planning on doing that. Until then, I think a little pain might help give me a bit of perspective so I asked Kurama to keep his chakra from healing me until further notice."

"I can only imagine how eager he was to help you out with that particular request."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "You have **no** idea," He quipped before leaning over to scrutinize the board.

"Well, getting back to business I have to ask… Why are you in _my_ office in particular so early in the morning? It certainly can't be for the stimulating conversation. We could have had this talk at any hour of the day."

"I'm leaving for Kiri tomorrow and there's a lot of stuff I need to take care of before I go. After I'm done here I need to go see Rock Lee, and then there's whatever I'm going to do for Tsunade. Since staying at home wasn't doing me any good, I figured I'd get a head start on things."

"Like staring at my custom Shōgi board?" Shikamaru asked as he watched Naruto's eyes flicker from piece to piece with keen interest. "Is there something in particular you're looking for?"

"Actually, I found it." Naruto said slyly. His mood brightened considerably as he reached over with keen interest and picked up one of the Gold Generals. There was a specific name written in black lettering beneath the Kanji symbol.

He held up the piece for Shikamaru to see. "What can you tell me about this one in particular?"

* * *

Tsunade stirred and tried to blink away the last dregs of unconsciousness. Turned out that was only half possible, since she couldn't open her left eye. Her right eye wandered lazily around the room, gathering her thoughts as she tried to get her bearings.

She was in the hospital; that much was certain. There was quite a bit of machinery huddled around the bed she was lying in. It looked like she was in the private wing on the fifth floor, since the room was far too big to be anywhere else. The view out the window showed a crescent moon on a darkened sky, with only a few stars littering it here and there.

It was nighttime. _I've been out of it the entire day,_ she thought as she licked her lips dryly. A drink of water along with an explanation as to how she'd gotten here and what her condition was sounded really good right now.

Her left arm appeared to be in a cast but her right arm remained free, even if it ached terribly. She felt around and luckily enough, her hand bumped into the call button. She pressed it and much to her surprise, about a minute later the door opened and Sakura walked in, sporting a tepid smile.

"Good evening, Shishou. I was wondering when you'd finally regain consciousness."

Tsunade opened her mouth to ask a question, but all that came out was a croak. Seeing this, Sakura walked to the bedside and poured a small glass of water.

"You know the drill," she said, supporting Tsunade's head and bringing the glass to her lips. "Don't gulp. Small sips only."

Tsunade briefly gave her student a scathing look before calming down. She'd do the same thing if she was in Sakura's place. It's the mothering instinct that kicks in when someone is in your care. She nodded sullenly and took a few small sips, wetting her throat enough so that she could talk.

"What… What time is it?" she asked hoarsely.

"Almost nine thirty at night…"

"I've been unconscious for almost eleven hours?"

"…on Tuesday." Sakura finished. "It's nine thirty at night on Tuesday. You've been unconscious for a day and a half."

Tsunade blinked her one good eye a few times in disbelief, before sinking further into her pillow. "How did I get here?"

"Kakashi picked you up from the crater you were pounded into and Naruto used the Hiraishin to bring you both to the hospital."

"Oh." Tsunade glanced sideways at her student. "Why are you here? I thought you weren't taking shifts at the hospital for awhile."

"Naruto told Kakashi to have them specifically send for me. Apparently, he wanted to make sure you got the best care possible." She chuckled wryly. "It's nice to know I still have some use around here, and that he still has some faith in me."

Tsunade closed her eye and sighed heavily. "How bad is it?"

Sakura walked to the end of the bed and picked up her chart, flipping through the pages as she listed off the injuries. "Your left orbital bone is fractured. Although I couldn't confirm it, you probably have some blurred vision so I thought it best to keep it bandaged for now. And between that and the grade 2 concussion you suffered, I'm making sure the room remains dim because bright light will give you severe headaches and shooting pain. You have four broken ribs; three on the right and one on the left. Your left arm and leg are broken in three places each, so they're both in a cast. And last but not least, your right hip was dislocated badly enough that your right ankle was lying next to your head." She snapped the chart shut. "Then there's all the cuts and bruises you had. I took care of most of them, but you're still going to ache something fierce for a few days. Whatever attack Naruto used certainly did a number on your body."

Tsunade winced at the items on the list. "Well, I was doing fine until he hit me with that jutsu at the end. It felt like he dropped the entire sky on my head."

"Why were you even fighting him in the first place?"

"He…" Tsunade briefly considered telling Sakura about the incentive Naruto had offered her, then thought better of it. No sense in pouring salt on an open wound. "He was tired of holding all that anger towards me inside. Said it wasn't doing either of us any good. He wanted to show me what life outside the village did to him." She shuddered. "He wasn't kidding when he used the word monster. You're lucky, Sakura. It could just as easily have been you lying here with me, since both of us are most responsible for what I saw."

Sakura turned melancholy. "Trust me, I know. You bring it up without fail every week during our sessions."

"Speaking of which, you missed the last two. Why?"

Sakura stared vacantly stare out the window. Despite her pain and the fact that she only had one working eye, Tsunade could see her disciple was brooding heavily about something.

"I thought we talked about keeping things bottled up inside." Tsunade scolded her. "Now, why did you miss the last two sessions?"

The pinkette shrugged. "I just… I don't think they're helping anymore. I haven't made one lick of progress with the villagers, and after what happened with Ino…"

"Naruto would be very disappointed to hear that you're giving up. You just said you thought he still has some faith in you." Tsunade said, hoping the affirmation would stir something but it had the opposite effect.

"Faith in my skills, perhaps," she muttered despondently. "I honestly don't think I could disappoint Naruto any more than I already have. And it's not really him, it's… everyone else. I think I'm past the point of no return with the villagers. And I'm not asking Naruto to intervene on my behalf. I don't need people thinking I'm a whiny brat who can't fix her own problems without the Hokage's help."

Tsunade sighed. Even though Sakura had made tremendous progress regarding her skewed perception of Naruto always being the center of attention, she had to agree that asking him for help would only make things worse with the villagers. But that didn't mean giving up was the answer. She was worried because it seemed like Sakura was becoming more and more lost.

Tsunade stared absently at the ceiling. "I wonder if he'll come to see me."

"Who? Naruto?" Sakura pointed towards the nightstand on the far side of the bed. "He's already been by. Three times."

_Three times?_ Tsunade turned her head and saw a bottle of saké with a note attached to it sitting on the nightstand. She recognized the brand and vintage… It was _very_ expensive. It was worth about as much as an A-rank mission.

"He had to leave this morning for Kirigakure," Sakura further explained, "I wasn't happy with him leaving alcohol in the hospital, but he was insistent. Made it an 'order from the Hokage'. Said that it was extremely important for you to see it when you woke up."

_He knows I gave up drinking, Tsunade wondered, so why would he spend a small fortune on a bottle of saké I'm not even going to use? Unless what's really important is…_

"Sakura, can I have that note on the bottle?"

"Sure. Just remember, you're on some serious pain meds so don't overdo it." She placed the note in Tsunade's right hand. "I'll give you some privacy. I'll be back to check on you in an hour, but if you need a nurse before then just press the call button."

Once Tsunade was alone, she flipped the note open and began to read…

*:*:*

*:*:*

_Tsunade,_

_If you're reading this then it means you're finally awake. You have no idea how grateful I am for that fact. Besides Sakura, I've had an ANBU stationed outside your window to alert me on the off chance you'd wake up while she was out of the room. I wanted to talk with you in person before I left for Kirigakure, but without knowing when you'd regain consciousness I couldn't delay my mission. And I wanted our first conversation to be face to face rather than just this handwritten note._

_This wasn't what I intended at all when I suggested we have a fight. I just wanted a way for both of us to let out our frustrations and sorrows… to show how much each of us were hurting inside over what happened. I wanted you to see the pain; feel the anger that almost consumed me for eight years of my life but not to the extent that you did._

_I was warned on multiple occasions what the dangers would be if I lost control and let my emotions fuel the forbidden jutsu I had learned – that eventually, I'd end up hurting those I love. And now, here I am – supposedly older and wiser, yet it appears I've learned nothing because once again, I've hurt the ones I love._

_I'm not very good at expressing feelings like this openly, Tsunade. And my time away from the village only built that wall higher, causing me to further withdraw into myself. But you should know that you're the closest thing to a mother I've ever had, and that's why what you did hurt me so much. You're almost as much a part of my family as Hinata and Hikaru – in some ways, even more so because you and Pervy-sage were special to me long before I was aware of my feelings for Hinata._

_And it's because of that fact that I'm ashamed at how our fight ended – not necessarily the fight itself. That last attack and the strength I put behind it is what I would use to face a true enemy, and not someone who is more important to me than just a casual acquaintance or friend._

_I had a right to be angry, but no right to do what I did. I lost control – something I swore I would never do again – and you're in the hospital right now because of it. All I can do at this point is apologize, and tell you how sorry I am._

_However, Hinata basically issued an ultimatum to me, saying that a simple apology isn't going to cut it and she's right – I need to do something meaningful as a way to make this up to you. The saké this note was attached to is a visible reminder of my promise to do so._

_You've said that you refuse to have another drink until I've forgiven you. I was planning on doing so whether you won the fight or not, but I'm formally saying that __you're forgiven__, and I'm hoping you can do the same for me._

_When I return from Kirigakure, I have a meeting scheduled with the Hyūga clan to discuss Neji taking over for Hiashi. Normally I wouldn't involve myself with something like this, but I've got a feeling that when the elders realize they've been outsmarted, things are going to get ugly very quickly. And since I'm the Hokage and technically a member of the clan, I think Neji would very much appreciate my support. I also plan on bringing Hinata just to piss them off._

_After that, I'll come by the hospital to see you. I think its past time that I told you about what happened to me while I was gone. That way you can better understand what I've become and why – and maybe help me find a way to fix what's been broken. Perhaps we can also talk about something else I can do to make it up to you… me just saying 'I forgive you' seems like the cheap and easy way out._

_So get some rest and do what Sakura says so that you'll get better quickly. I'd like it very much if you could join the rest of your family for dinner at my house as soon as possible. Oh, and one more thing…_

_That was a good fight… __Baa-chan__._

_Naruto_

*:*:*

*:*:*

Tsunade read the final words and her lower lip began to tremble. Naruto had always held a special place in her heart and sure, she'd formally adopted him to be her grandson but she honestly had no clue as to his true feelings. To be told that he considered her the closest thing to a mother he ever had – it was a wonderful affirmation, but it also brought along with it a fresh wave of anguish because now she knew she'd hurt him far worse than she originally thought, and the reasons why.

She couldn't believe that he was willing to forgive her for any of it – that he considered eight years of his pain and suffering an equal trade for her being in the hospital. He was even remorseful about putting her there.

He was inviting her to be part of a family again… _his family._ And he'd called her Baa-chan – that sentence alone meant he'd truly forgiven her.

Tsunade pressed the note against her forehead as she began to cry, wetting it with tears. Even though she'd be in the hospital for a few weeks, she was overcome with joy because the reward she just received was far greater than anything she could have expected.

"You're forgiven, gaki…" she said in-between heartfelt sobs, "…and thank you. Thank you so much for forgiving me."

* * *

Sakura was walking down the stairs from the fifth floor, heading towards the second floor where the pediatric wing was located. Mikomi needed to be breast fed before she went back up to keep an eye on Tsunade, however her mind was occupied by more than just thoughts of her daughter at the moment.

**_So, it sounds like you're finally coming around to my way of thinking, Inner Sakura said smugly._**

_I thought I told you to go to hell, Sakura snapped back._

**_And I believe I've told you on more than one occasion that's impossible._**

_And I said I'm not listening to you anymore, which makes me wonder why you even bother sticking around._

**_Because I have infinite patience – along with the certainty that I will eventually be proven right. It's only a matter of time before you give in._**

_Let me tell you something, Sakura replied angrily, I may be on the verge of giving up, but even if I do there's no way I'll give in to you._

She forcefully pushed open the door to the second floor and turned right, heading towards the pediatric ward. This was not a conversation she wanted to have. Her inner voice had been relatively silent for the past few weeks – enough so that Sakura thought it might actually have vanished, but instead it had merely been skulking in the shadows of her subconscious.

She wanted it gone, but she had to do it herself. If she revealed to anyone, even Lady Tsunade that she had voices in her head, they'd lock her up in one minute and take Mikomi away from her the next. Not even Naruto could keep that from happening.

Still lost in thought, Sakura turned the last corner before the nursery and didn't notice Ino until she was within several feet of her. She came to a halt and stared at her classmate's back, wondering what she was doing there. They hadn't seen or talked to each other since that day on the Hokage Monument, and frankly Sakura didn't care to repeat the experience. She walked around Ino and continued on without saying a word.

When Ino noticed who had passed her, she quickly caught up to the pinkette and grabbed her arm. "Sakura! Hey Sakura, hold on a minute!"

Sakura sighed heavily. This wasn't the time or place for a confrontation, so she decided to keep things civil for the moment. "Ino. What are you doing here so late at night?"

"I… I was actually looking for you. I went by your house earlier and Sasuke said you'd been called to the hospital for something important for a few days."

"Lady Tsunade was admitted to the hospital," Sakura said after a brief pause, "I'm her attending physician while she's here."

"What the hell happened? Is she okay?"

"She's pretty beat up, but I'm sure with rest and treatment she'll be fine in a few weeks." Sakura shuddered as she remembered what Tsunade had said earlier…

_He wasn't kidding when he used the word monster. You're lucky, Sakura. It could just as easily have been you lying here with me, since both of us are most responsible for what I saw._

"And I'm not saying a word about why she's here. If you're that desperate to find out, you can ask Lady Tsunade yourself when she's feeling up to it but I highly doubt she'll tell you anything." Sakura said curtly. The last thing she needed was Ino spreading gossip about Naruto and Tsunade all over the village. "Now you've said you were looking for me but you haven't said why. What do you want?"

Ino fidgeted nervously. "I, uh… I wanted to, um… apologize."

After the way things ended last time between them, Sakura found that statement to be highly unlikely. "I don't have time for this Ino. I'm very busy and…"

"No, I'm serious! Look, the last time we talked I acted like a real bitch. You saw how upset I was, then tried to help me and I… I basically screamed a whole bunch of horrible stuff in your face and I've been feeling like shit about it." Ino said contritely. "We've been kind of avoiding each other since then for different reasons, and I don't blame you at all for trying to keep me as far away from you as possible 'cause I would have done the same thing in your shoes."

"But I really wanted to talk with you and sort this out. I went to corner you at your house when I finally decided I'd had enough and got tired of waiting. When Sasuke said you were at the hospital, I figured this would work just as good." Ino looked sadly at her friend. "You've been busting your ass to try and make headway with the villagers. You haven't lashed out once, you've offered to help tons of people including me, and I just… didn't want this thing hanging between us anymore."

Ino remembered her conversation that day with Choji about the second chance she'd probably never have with him. Her heart still ached because she knew her own selfishness and stupidity were the reasons for that.

"So whether you accept it or not, I'm saying I'm sorry. Yes, I know how I screwed up with Choji isn't anywhere near the level of what happened with you, Hinata, Naruto and Hikaru but… everyone deserves a second chance. I'll never get mine with Choji, but I'm kinda hoping that maybe you could give me one. If you'd still like to be my friend, that is."

**_She actually believes we'd fall for that act?_**

Sakura ignored her inner voice as she eyed Ino skeptically. "Are you being serious?"

Ino nodded. "Dead serious. If you want, I'll even start a rumor that I'm an ungrateful bitch who slapped aside your hand when you offered me help."

"Well, actually you were."

"Then it'll be more believable since it's the truth, right?"

Sakura chuckled. Even if it was just casual banter back and forth, she sorely missed moments like this with her friends. Maybe she was finally making progress, after all.

"I think I'd like that very much, Ino. Besides, it'll be nice to have someone besides Sasuke and Mikomi to talk to. They both have about the same amount of conversational skill, but you're not nearly as intellectually stimulating as they are."

Ino chuckled as well. "Forehead."

"Pig."

The two of them started quietly at each other, the defining nicknames they'd used on each other since they were children still ringing in the air. Both of them realized this was the first small step towards renewing their friendship.

"Well," Ino began, shifting restlessly on her feet, "you said you were really busy so when you're not, let's get together and catch up, okay?"

Ino walked away, but Sakura had a nagging feeling as she watched her friend go – and it had nothing to do with her inner voice, who was grumbling in disdain in a corner of her mind. She suddenly felt that reconnecting with her friend would be better done sooner rather than later. And since she was already here…

"Ino, wait."

Ino stopped and turned around, wondering what Sakura wanted.

Sakura motioned towards the nursery. "Would you like to help me out with Mikomi? I didn't have time before I left the house to pump some breast milk for Sasuke to feed her, so I brought her to the hospital with me. Afterwards I'm going to be a bit tired and she falls asleep faster if someone walks around while holding her. We can talk while we're waiting to pass the time."

Ino smiled. "Yeah, sure. Why not? It sounds like fun."

**_This supposed victory of yours will be short lived. You and I both know it._**

_Feeling threatened? You should be, Sakura thought as she and Ino walked through the door into the nursery. Ino is the biggest gossip in town, and if I can prove to her I've changed she'll tell everyone else in Konoha. Your days are numbered._

**_I think not, Inner Sakura sneered. You may be feeling euphoric, but this is only a reprieve. You can try and fool yourself into thinking things will improve, but I know better. And when your world finally crumbles and you realize that you are nothing to this village anymore, I will be here to pick up the pieces of your shattered life._**

**_But until that day comes… when we can return the pain they have given us tenfold… I am more than happy to wait._**

* * *

A/N: Now, I know everyone was probably looking for the meeting with Neji and the Hyūga elders but this chapter ran WAY too long for me to put it in. Rest assured though that it will be a highlight of the next chapter.

So a major amount of this chapter was influenced by ideas and suggestions from my readers. And I have to say, I love that about this story. I love the fact that there's constant tweaks and changes, and that the plot can go in an entirely different direction. This story is so much different from the way I originally envisioned it, and I think it's only getting better.

To that end, if anyone has something you'd like to see or ideas that might help, throw them in your review when you leave one. You know I always personally answer and as I've mentioned on many occasions, if I use it you'll get the credit.

Now, will the next chapter take less time to write? And what's happening next? Well, I'm certainly going to try and get the chapter out sooner – this one would have been done way before this if I didn't keep rewriting big sections of it five times. As for the rest, we've got the meeting with the Hyūga elders. Kakashi spends time with Reira (love writing for that little girl!). Gideon and Gilgamesh make their next move, and it's a big one. Some other stuff happens too, but I won't mention it because I don't want to spoil things.

**_Poll!_** Okay, so the poll is closed and even after counting votes from reviews and PM's, by a margin of 12 percent my readers voted to have Choji stay with Karui. Now, I know some people will be unhappy with that but I will say that there's some MAJOR plot twists coming up because of how the vote turned out. And don't worry, Ino doesn't end up alone. I've already got something in store for her.

**_Recommendation time!_** Wow… I took a look through my stories list and there's far too many I'm keeping an eye on. By the same token, many of them haven't updated in quite some time and I'm really trying to make that a deciding factor with my recommendations going forward. There's nothing worse than reading a story and the next update comes out 6 months later, or not at all.

The story I'm recommending this time however, has some meat to it (43 chapters so far). It's updated regularly. It's NaruHina. Naruto is a badass. And the writing is very good.

The name of it is **The Honoured Guest** by **Ziltoid.** In this story, Naruto is kidnapped along with Hinata by Kumo. Naruto saves Hinata, and because of that Hiashi invites him to stay as his 'guest'. I'm actually enjoying how Hiashi is written in this story, and the interaction is even better because his wife (Hitomi) survives. It really pushes the envelope of some alternate theories as to how Naruto and the rest of his friends would have turned out if one little thing had gone differently (butterfly effect). Go on over and read it, and leave a review when you do – I'm sure the author would appreciate it!

Here's the link, as usual remove the spaces and you know what to replace the stars with:

www . fanfiction . *** / s / 10617730

**REVIEWS!** Wow! After breaking a record with chapter 28, you guys responded again and left me one hundred and twenty eight for chapter 29. That's unbelievable, and I can't thank everyone enough. I've said on more than one occasion I know of stories that have twice as many followers and favorites that don't have half as many reviews as mine does. It just shows that people are passionate and truly enjoy what I write. My success is all due to the support and ideas of my readers.

Let's see if we can keep that enthusiasm going. Like I said, I'm looking for reviews AND ideas to use. Leave me a review and tell me something you'd like to see happen in the story. I'm hoping to see a huge amount of creativity from everyone. Besides, those reviews help keep me moving, even when I hit the brick wall known as writer's block. So help me keep the engine running and leave me one, even if it's just something as simple as 'I loved it'. A few words are still powerful and I'd be very grateful.

That's all for now. Take care and stay safe.

Serious Sam


	32. Ch 31: The Full Monty

31\. The Full Monty

**_I believe that the human spirit is indomitable. If you endeavor to achieve, it will happen given enough resolve. – Monty Oum_**

Hello, my faithful readers. I know, I know… it's been over 2 months since my last release and I could give you the standard excuses… work, business trips, vacation, writers block, doing beta work but it doesn't change the fact that this chapter is really overdue.

The problem is that every time I thought I had a chance to end the chapter at an earlier point, it didn't feel right. So I kept writing, and writing… long story short, this is the **_biggest chapter I've ever written_** which I hope makes up for it being so late.

Anyway, let's move on. The quicker I get done, the quicker we can get to the story.

Standard thanks to **Titokhan** and my anonymous beta for their help and support.

_And now, credit where credit is due:_

**Petran:** I'm giving you props at the beginning AND at the end for the Omake. It was all you!

**Magicofantasy:** the hot springs idea was all yours, and it fit perfectly in this chapter. Thanks for suggesting it!

**xHinaLovex:** You made the suggestion for what Sakura's chakra feels like. It's here!

**OGAFazer89AC:** You thought up the situation between Mei, Lee and Naruto in Kiri. You also gave me the idea for Iwa's spy network. Thanks a bunch!

**Sasuke149:** The idea of Lee telling Hinata about what happened in Kiri was all yours. Loved it! Hope you like how I wrote it!

**Hektols:** You came up with the idea of Kakashi hiding his stash of Icha Icha novels. Thanks!

**MattWilson83:** Well, as usual the man behind NaruHina Chronicles on DeviantArt gave up a huge amount of his time to chat with me regarding ideas, fleshing out scenes and pointing out my mistakes. I think the chapter turned out better because of it and I'm very thankful.

I would also like to personally apologize to **Jagsboy,** who asked if this chapter would be released before he shipped off to the Naval Academy on May 19th. I tried, really I did but I just couldn't finish it. I hope you enjoy this when you get the chance to read it, and I look forward to your review when that happens.

This chapter is dedicated to **Monty Oum,** creator of **RWBY** who died at the far too young age of 33. For those of you who don't know, he was responsible for most, if not all of the projects that get pushed out over at Rooster Teeth. The man basically wrote FanFiction that was good enough to be made into an animated piece of work. You rocked, dude.

And now, on to the disclaimer. For those of you living in the US, this shouldn't be too hard. You can even pop it up on YouTube for a quick laugh if you like.

**_Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto. And let's begin this round of Double Jeopardy. Sean Connery, you have control of the board, so please pick a category._**

**_Sean Connery – I'll take 'Le Tits Now' for eight hundred._**

**_Disclaimer – That's pronounced, 'Let It Snow'._**

**_Sean Connery – No, it's not! It's a French expression! 'Bonjour mademoiselle, I'd like to see Le Tits Now!'_**

**_Disclaimer – Ugh. Way too early for that. And the answer is… This is the color of snow._**

**_Sean Connery – What is yellow? (+1 if you get the reference)._**

* * *

Chapter 31 – The Full Monty

A crescent moon hung in the sky, casting very little light across Iwagakure. It made the shadows of the village, which was surrounded by a mountain range even longer and darker. With the hour being so late most of the village was asleep, leaving only the roving ANBU patrols to avoid in order for someone to remain undetected.

And that someone stood close to seven feet tall.

There were several things Gilgamesh excelled at. Stealth was one, but being subtle… not so much. He tended to push towards the extremes, preferring to either hover in the background or be the focus of attention on the battlefield.

Tonight, the former one was serving his purpose. Gideon had summoned both him and Nyx to their base of operations he'd set up deep within the mountainside. It had been one of the first bits of information Nyx had pulled from Ōnoki's mind; a place of solace known only to the Tsuchikage. The Nidame, Mū built it during his first year as leader of the village so that he had a quiet place of his own where he wouldn't be disturbed. Nyx increased the security measures and now Gideon was using it as a centralized meeting location for the other members of the Mienai Segi, as well as a repository for all the intelligence he was gathering through Iwa's spy network.

After deactivating the final trap – which would reset itself in about five seconds – he moved quickly down the passageway and emerged in a medium sized cavern, which Gideon had redecorated to look very much like the one he'd occupied near Amegakure. The creature comforts had been improved; the sleeping area was gone and had been replaced with comfortable, plush seating and a large table for meetings. The work area sported a larger desk, as well as a map of the elemental nations that spanned ten plus feet of the cave wall behind it. On either side were bookcases, filled sparsely with some of the more… unique pieces of knowledge and jutsu they had copied from the village archives. A large portion of the shelves remained empty, however – a constant reminder of his failure to procure the scrolls from Saladin before their former leader died.

Nyx was already there, lounging casually in one of the cushioned seats. Gideon was standing behind his desk, hands clasped behind his back as he stared at the map on the wall.

"Gilgamesh," Gideon drawled, "make yourself comfortable. I'm almost finished."

Gilgamesh walked over to where Nyx was and eyed the chairs that were similar to the one she was sprawled out in before moving on to the couch. Most furniture was too small for his massive frame so he had to make... concessions in his life.

"So," Nyx asked cheekily, "did you sneak over here tonight? Or take the conventional way and so that any women lucky enough to be awake at this hour could offer you their services for free?"

Gilgamesh fixed her with a withering glare. It irritated him to no end when she did this.

"What? You've been in high demand ever since we've shown up in this village. Women know that the bigger the man, the bigger the…" Nyx held her hands about one foot apart. "…equipment. You might have problems, er… rising to the occasion but that doesn't mean someone isn't out there who can make it happen."

He growled threateningly. A childhood injury had left him mostly impotent, and there had been only three women he'd ever loved in his life that had been able to overcome that particular obstacle. After the last one had her throat slit and was left to die in a dark alley to drown in a pool of her own blood, he tracked down the responsible party and found it had been a simple robbery gone wrong.

A thief had killed the love of his life over a measly one hundred Ryo.

Something snapped and his bloodlust took over. _That's when he decided to become a mercenary._

Young, old, rich, poor, good, bad... none of that mattered. Everyone needed to suffer – to feel the unbearable sorrow and loss like he had. The money he earned was merely a way to keep score. The only thing waiting for him at the end of the path he walked was death… and that was exactly what he wanted.

"She'd have to have a great pair of these," Nyx caressed and fondled her breasts, causing her to moan slightly, "a really good set of these," Nyx slid her fingers lasciviously along the curves of her body, slowly heading further south, "and a skilled set of hands that could make even the most heartless man purr like a kitten," she finished, as her hands inched towards her crotch…

Gilgamesh slammed his hand down on the table in anger. Nyx didn't flinch, and only laughed at his lack of amusement over her clearly flirtatious actions.

"Nyx. That's enough." Gideon's voice radiated with power as he chastised her. "You know that's a sensitive subject for him. Don't mention it again."

A shiver of fear traveled down her spine, while a tingle of pleasure worked its way further south, settling in her groin. Most people didn't know it, but she had a major S&M fetish. It was probably the one guilty pleasure she had.

"Well then, Gideon… would you like to punish me?" Her voice turned sultry. "I've been a very bad girl and deserve a good spanking…"

"No. It would serve no purpose because it excites you sexually. If I want to punish you I'll find a non-sadistic way to do it. I believe that would have the desired effect."

"Fine, fine. There's no need to be a sourpuss. I wasn't intentionally trying to piss _the big man_ off." Nyx said, waving her hand dismissively as she slipped one last jibe in. "I'll keep myself in check from now on."

Gilgamesh grunted. He believed the first part, but not the second. Even with Gideon's threat, in a few weeks she'd forget her promise and be right back to her old self. She'd done it before and would do it again.

"Save your apologies, Nyx. I brought you both here for a reason." Gideon relocated himself to the final chair in the sitting area, bringing along a mission folder he'd grabbed from the top of his desk. "The spy network that we now control through our clandestine takeover of Iwa has yielded significant results." He placed it on the table and removed a single photograph, pushing it to the center. "Take a look at this."

Gilgamesh and Nyx leaned over to look at it. The picture showed a smiling, blond haired boy flashing a victory sign, surrounded by five other people. Dozens of other shinobi, both alive and dead along with remnants of a large tree littered the background.

There were two people in the photograph they recognized. One was Ōnoki, the Tsuchikage of Iwagakure that Nyx had turned into their own private marionette. And the other…

"What the hell is Gabriel doing in a photograph with Ōnoki?" Nyx growled. "Who're the rest of those people?"

"Kage." Gilgamesh answered, causing Nyx to glance sharply at him from the corner of her eye.

"Gilgamesh is correct. This picture was taken at the end of the fourth shinobi war. At the time, the people surrounding him were the Kage of the five great villages." Gideon pointed to the image in the middle. "And this is Naruto Uzumaki – the one we know as Gabriel."

"Naruto Uzumaki?" Nyx was surprised. "That guy everyone talks about from the fourth shinobi war?"

"Yes. However there is one additional piece of information that has been brought to my attention. One that Gabriel, and perhaps Saladin conveniently decided to omit during the entire time he was a member of the Mienai Segi." Gideon scowled. "He is the jinchuuriki of the Kyūbi no Yōko."

"You're shitting me." Nyx deadpanned. "You're telling me Gabriel has the nine tailed fox sealed inside him? And he kept it a secret the entire time we worked with him?"

"Unexpected. And troubling." Gilgamesh said flatly.

"Indeed, Gilgamesh. But unfortunately, that's not all we have been made aware of." Gideon's eyebrow twitched as he glared at the photograph. "It appears that a few months ago, Gabriel was named Hokage of Konoha."

"Well, that's just fucking great." Nyx rubbed her temples against the oncoming headache. "It was bad enough before, but with him in charge of the village it'll be ten times tougher to wipe that place out."

"Yes, this clearly makes things more difficult for us. Our forces will need to become stronger in order to stand a chance at taking down Konoha – especially with Gabriel and Freyja protecting the populace. However I believe this has allowed us an opportunity we should exploit."

"This is Tsunade," Gideon pointed to her face in the picture. "Former Hokage of Konoha, succeeded by Kakashi Hatake. She is the last remaining member of the legendary group of shinobi known as the Sannin. Her strength is well known throughout the elemental nations – she'd be a worthy adversary even for someone like you, Gilgamesh. In addition, she is also widely considered to be the foremost authority on medical jutsu."

"Finally, she is of the Senju bloodline which produced Hashirama Senju, Shodai Hokage of Konoha and master of the Sage Arts. He was one of the most powerful ninja ever to have existed, and he alone was capable of besting Madara Uchiha one on one in a fight." Gideon scowled and angrily slapped his hand down on the photograph. "The fight with Saladin decimated our forces, and Naberius is still in a coma. We cannot afford any more losses and I believe her skills will be sufficient to awaken Naberius. Plus, if she can teach our forces how to replicate her chakra enhanced strength they will be practically unstoppable."

His eyes flashed with a touch of madness. Anyone who saw it and had the knowledge to make a comparison would say that he resembled Orochimaru a tad too much. "She is a prize beyond measure. We need to capture her and… _convince_ her to join our cause."

"That's easier said than done," Nyx said skeptically. "We can't just waltz into Konoha and grab her. If she's as strong as you say she is, the collateral damage will be huge – not to mention it'll attract Gabriel's attention. How do you propose we do it?"

"Simple. We lure her out of the village."

"Humanitarian mission," Gilgamesh quipped.

"Correct once again, Gilgamesh. We send a message from another village – asking for medical assistance that only Tsunade, with her vast amount of knowledge can provide. Her sense of morality will not allow her to refuse the request. Once she is outside the borders of Konoha, she can be considered fair game." Gideon stared pointedly at Nyx. "Tomorrow, you and Gilgamesh will leave for Kusagakure. Your target is a council member named Rinji. He is not well liked and his disappearance would be dismissed as unimportant for several days. Take over his mind and use him to craft a suitably desperate letter for aid. Ensure he infuses the seal with his chakra, which will verify the message as genuine and send it immediately by falcon to Konoha. Once this has been accomplished, you can… dispose of him as you see fit."

Gideon then fixed his steely gaze on Gilgamesh. "Once Konoha has taken the bait and Tsunade is a suitable distance away from the village, the two of you will begin the second phase of your mission."

"Which is…?"

"What you do best, Gilgamesh." An evil grin split the face of the tyrannical psychopath. "Search and destroy. And then Nyx will make sure you disappear."

* * *

**_***Timeskip – Four Days after Naruto left for Kirigakure***_**

"Aah…" Tenten moaned, sinking lower into the water, "That really hits the spot. I have to say, this was definitely one of your better ideas, Hanabi."

"Of course. All my ideas are good ones," Hanabi quipped from the edge of the hot spring as she removed her towel, revealing her very swollen belly. "Unlike my husband, who thinks teaching the Sexy Jutsu to his nephew counts as a good idea."

As Tenten watched Hanabi step into the water, she couldn't help but notice the size of her stomach. They were due about a week or so apart, and yet Hanabi seemed somehow… bigger than her. Or maybe it was just a trick of the light, since Hanabi was three inches shorter, and had a much smaller frame than she did.

"Oh come now, Imōto," Hinata chided her sister as she removed her own towel. Tenten and Hanabi couldn't help but stare in jealousy at her slightly bulging stomach as she slipped into the water. "While I agree that teaching Hikaru the Sexy Jutsu was a mistake, the dose of humility our father received was well worth it. Besides, you make it sound like your husband is alone in that regard. Mine can make bad decisions, just the same as yours."

"Mine too," Tenten said. "Honestly, men can be so stupid sometimes."

"You got that right," Hanabi conceded, "But I think Nii-san deserves a pass for the next few weeks. Speaking of which, how is he feeling? I haven't been by to see him since…" She hesitated at this point. Watching Hikaru remove the caged bird seal from Neji had been a harrowing experience – mainly because she had never felt so helpless in her entire life. All she could do was stand there, wringing her hands while Hikaru and Lady Tsunade fought to save his life. Afterwards, Lady Tsunade said the best thing for Neji would be rest, coupled with large amounts of peace and quiet. That meant only the former Hokage, Shizune or Tenten were allowed to see him until further notice.

Tenten smiled weakly. "He's doing well, all things considered. His vision isn't so blurry anymore, and the headaches are pretty much gone. Lady Tsunade hasn't been by for a few days, but Shizune said he should be able to use his Byakugan again soon. He can have visitors by the end of the week."

"Why were you thinking you'd see Lady Tsunade?" Hanabi asked. "Didn't you hear? She's been in the hospital. The word around Konoha is that she was badly injured during a training accident in the middle of the Forest of Death."

As Hanabi continued her explanation, Tenten noticed that Hinata was sinking into the water and slowly edging towards the exit.

_My gossip senses are tingling, Tenten thought. She knows WAY more than she's letting on._

"Hold it right there, Hinata!"

The woman in question froze in the water. The only thing visible was the top of her head and her panicked eyes, which were staring back at Tenten.

Tenten swam over to her and got right up close to her face. "You know what happened to Tsunade," she said assertively, "So spill it."

Hinata shook her head, refusing to say a word. She couldn't anyway since her mouth, along with the rest of her body was still underwater.

Tenten sighed, realizing the situation was going to need a bit of emotional coaxing. "Look Hinata, this isn't some random girl's night out where gossip flies around for anyone to hear. We're the first ladies for three of the most powerful men in Konoha, and beyond that…" she smiled warmly at Hinata. "…we're family. I know how much that means to you. I promise you this will stay just between the three of us."

Hinata glanced over at Hanabi, who nodded her head in agreement. "You have my word as well, Nee-san."

Tenten noticed Hinata was still hesitating and decided it was time to liven things up a bit. "Okay Hinata," she said, smiling deviously as she flexed her fingers, "if you won't tell us what happened, I'll have to take drastic measures and tickle you until you crack."

It was a little known fact that Hinata was extremely ticklish. Tenten only knew about it because Neji had inadvertently let it slip once – and he'd found out about it from Hanabi.

Hinata stood up quickly and held her hands defensively in front of her. "You… You can't!"

"I can and I will. Now, are we gonna do this the easy way or the hard way?"

Half a second later Hinata made a break for it but even as pregnant as she was, Tenten caught her and dragged her back into water, honing in on the most sensitive areas.

"Tenten, stop! Don't, I'll… ***Pfftt*** Ha ha ha! No! Not my feet! Aauugghh!"

"Say what happened to Tsunade and I will!"

The two naked, pregnant women continued to wrestle with each other, splashing around in the hot springs. Hinata was more nimble but Tenten was bigger and heavier, and she mercilessly used that to her advantage.

Hanabi thought it was one of the funniest things she'd seen in years.

**"**I'm… Stay away from my ribs! Ha ha ha ha! I… I can't… *** Snort*** I'm going to pee if you keep… FINE! FINE, I'LL TELL!"

Tenten backed off; however both she and Hanabi looked eagerly at Hinata, who was doing her best to compose herself. It took a minute before she finally calmed down enough to answer.

"Naruto-kun… is the one who put Lady Tsunade in the hospital."

"Excuse me?" Hanabi said after a brief pause.

"Yeah. What she said." Tenten added.

"Naruto-kun is the one who put Lady Tsunade in the hospital." Hinata answered sourly. "Do you both know what part Lady Tsunade played with Naruto-kun during the time he was gone from the village?"

Tenten and Hanabi nodded mutely. Ino had filled them in a few months ago.

"Well, as you'd expect he was very angry with her. They've basically been walking on eggshells around each other, and the day after we all met at your house he proposed the idea with Lady Tsunade of having a fight, saying it would be cathartic and fix their problems." Hinata laughed humorlessly. "Yes, my idiot husband actually used the word 'cathartic'. And my opinion obviously didn't matter in the slightest, because he never bothered to ask me for it. So they traipsed off to the Forest of Death for this little fight of theirs. At the end, Naruto-kun lost control and unleashed an attack that tore up a significant amount of the landscape – and Lady Tsunade along with it."

The girls stared blankly at Hinata as she went off on her tirade. Had it been anyone else, they would have found the story impossible to believe and it was easy to see why she was so upset.

Putting Tsunade in the hospital was bad enough, but purposely ignoring Hinata because he didn't think her opinion was worth hearing? _Completely and utterly wrong._

"I assume you're punishing him good for what he did," Hanabi said crisply.

"I have him sleeping on the couch for starters, but I'm still trying to come up with something… suitable."

Tenten smiled wickedly. "Then the answer is easy. You just need to withhold sex from him."

Hinata shrank a bit and poked her fingers together shyly. "That's no good. Naruto-kun and I haven't been… intimate with each other since he found out I was pregnant."

"What? You've gotta be kidding me! Why?"

Hinata shrugged. It was a question she'd asked herself many times over the last few months and other than becoming as big as a house from carrying two babies, she couldn't come up with an answer. "I don't know. It's not like he hasn't been affectionate, far from it. He always kisses me when he comes home, and we cuddle in bed at night, but we just haven't had… sex. Maybe he doesn't find me desirable anymore."

Tenten and Hanabi were silent as they mulled that over. For whatever reason, Naruto was shirking his husbandly duties towards Hinata and her… _needs._ There's no way that was even close to being acceptable. They nodded at each other, both agreeing that while there were lots of solutions to this problem, only one answer really made sense.

"Then I think you should do the opposite and seduce him. And don't take 'no' for an answer."

An embarrassing blush spread across Hinata's face. While she had made great strides with her confidence, this was still one part of her life she preferred to keep relatively private. Saying the word sex was one thing, but going into detail about it was an entirely different matter.

"Tenten! There's no way I could do something like that!"

Tenten scoffed. "Oh, come on Hinata! What happened to being more confident? What I'm seeing is the shy girl who stuttered and fainted around Naruto all the time when we were kids." She stood up and placed her hands on her hips, striking a dramatic pose. "Let's see the new one! The First Lady of Konoha! The only woman who can emasculate the Hokage!"

"TENTEN! I would never…"

"And you can't tell me you haven't been horny, Hinata. Hell, even Neji knows better than to say no to me when I'm in the mood. I can't even imagine not screwing him at least twice a week. We did it in the shower the other day using this specially shaped luffa sponge, and…" A shiver of pleasure ran through her body as she remembered what happened. "Anyway, my advice would be to reenact one of those scenes from that Icha Icha novel you've been reading."

Hinata shrank like a turtle into its shell. "How… How do you know about that?"

Tenten snorted mockingly and sank back into the water. "I saw it in your bag one day at the tea house. Now, my personal favorite is the one on page 147 where Kyoko handcuffs Shinji to the bed, then puts on those edible bra and panties made out of red licorice before she pours chocolate sauce all over his body…"

The blush on her face intensified to a fiery shade of red. "PLEASE STOP!" Hinata exclaimed, aghast at how casually she was talking about something so perverted. "Besides, I don't think you should be discussing something like this right now in front of…" she finished, casting a sideways glance at Hanabi.

Tenten noticed her look and smirked. "Are you serious? She reads them the same as you and me. As a matter of fact, I borrowed the last two books in the series from her."

Hinata stared at her sister in shock. Tenten had to be lying. There was no way her sweet, innocent sister would read smut like that, let alone actually own any of the books but much to her surprise, Hanabi was smiling and nodding in agreement.

"What? Konohamaru has a kinky side, and everyone needs a little inspiration once in a while. I remember the night I got pregnant we were reenacting that scene from Icha Icha High School Days. I was dressed like a cheerleader, and Konohamaru pretended he was the band conductor. He said he wanted me to play his woodwind section…"

Hinata quickly interrupted her before she could finish. "Can we not discuss this?" she asked, squirming uncomfortably. "I'd prefer to remain as ignorant as possible about what my family does in the privacy of their own homes."

Tenten huffed. Between talking openly about sex and Hanabi saying how kinky she and Konohamaru were in the bedroom, she was actually having fun pushing Hinata out of her comfort zone. When it came to things like this the woman was still **way** too timid. "Fine. Actually, this reminded me of something else I wanted to talk with you two about. I'd planned on waiting until after the meeting with the elders, but since we're on the subject I think now would be as good a time as any."

Hinata and Hanabi could tell this was something very personal to Tenten, because she was being much more serious than usual. They wondered what the subject could possibly be, if she wanted to discuss it with them specifically.

"What's on your mind?" Hanabi asked.

"It actually has to deal with Hiashi. And what Naruto said about him."

Hinata's eyebrows rose skyward. "I think I missed something important, Tenten. When did Naruto say something about father? And what does any of this have to do with him?"

"It was that night everyone was at the house dealing with Neji's… problem. Don't you remember what Naruto said? Hiashi knows he did a shitty job as a father and he wants another chance with his grandchildren." Tenten started doing her own nervous habit, which was twisting her hair around her index finger. "I've been thinking a lot about that. I'd like to give Hiashi a chance but good intentions or not, there's no guarantee he'll change for the better. And I'm not trying to be rude or bring up any painful memories, but Kō told me once that your father's downward spiral started when your mother, Hitomiko umm… died."

The two sisters shared a glance. They'd talked about this many times over the years, and they really couldn't fault Tenten for bringing it up. She was still relatively new to the family and wasn't immersed in it like they were.

"You're right about that, Tenten." Hanabi said sadly. "A lot of the older clan members have said that Hinata looks and acts very much like our mother did. Then there's the fact that mother died giving birth to me. Between the two of us we're a constant reminder of losing the only woman he's ever loved."

"I don't think that's entirely accurate, Hanabi." Tenten chided her gently. "He might not have always shown it, but I'm sure he loves you and Hinata too."

"I don't doubt your words, but we both know that's not the same thing. We're all going to be parents soon, and we'd give our lives for our children but there's a difference between our love for them and the love we have for our husbands."

"Come to think of it, father hasn't had a single romantic moment since…" Hinata's voice was thick with emotion. "…since mother passed on."

"Yeah, you're right." Hanabi agreed after a moment's consideration. "I've never seen him show any romantic interest in anyone."

"Which is just a polite way of saying he hasn't had sex in Kami knows how long. And that's exactly the argument I'm trying to make." Tenten explained hastily. "I'm not trying to diminish Hitomiko, or what she meant to everyone but Hiashi's got this huge hole in his heart, and I don't think he'll change for the better unless it's…" she gestured dramatically with her hands. "umm, well… _filled_."

Hinata and Hanabi stared absently at the water, watching the ripples flow outward as they thought about that. The idea of replacing their mother… no, scratch that thought. Tenten wasn't suggesting replacing the memory of their mother. She just figured that after so long, it was time for their father to move on.

"This is certainly a difficult conversation to have. I know you're only saying this because you want father to be happy once again Tenten, and I'm thankful for that." Hinata said, smiling warmly. "But it sounds like you've given this a lot of thought. Did you have anyone in mind?"

Tenten let out a nervous breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. "Well, nobody in particular but I've been making a list. Not of people – just personality traits I think she should have."

"Traits, huh?" Hanabi asked playfully. "Like what?"

"Well, she has to be a kunoichi. That's a given. And I think she should be really outgoing – totally the opposite of how Hiashi is."

"I… I think she should be good with children." Hinata blurted out, deciding to play along as well. "I mean, if father really wants another chance with his grandchildren, and she's going to be around him all the time…"

"Yeah, that's a good idea Hinata. What else?"

The rest of the time at the hot springs was filled with talk – partially about their pregnancies and how they were feeling, but mainly about what they thought Hiashi should look for in a woman, and how they'd make sure he ended up with her.

Over the next hour, the three of them continued to talk about the woman who'd be such a big part of their lives. Hanabi and Hinata laughed a bit, but also became teary eyed when talking about their mother and the wonderful qualities she possessed. Tenten did her best to keep the focus on the celebration, rather than the sadness of Hitomiko's life and all things considered, she felt she did a pretty damn good job.

This also had the unintended side effect of making the bond between the three of them even stronger, and it strengthened their purpose to mend whatever rift there was and become a real family, like they'd always wanted.

But a qualm still gnawed at them – what did Hiashi actually find attractive? None of them had any idea about his 'preferences'. Hitomiko was their only reference point and out of their little group Hinata was the only one who remembered her. Those memories, combined with stories told by some of the branch members helped serve as a guide, however by the end of it they were left with one unanswerable question…

_Did a woman who could heal the hardened heart of Hiashi Hyūga actually exist? Or at this point, was it just a myth?_

* * *

**_***Timeskip – Seven Days after Naruto left for Kirigakure***_**

It was late afternoon on a Wednesday, and the temperature was a perfect seventy five degrees – not too hot or cold. Perfect weather for sharing an ice cream with someone.

As he'd done the last two days, Kakashi left the Hokage's office early to pick Reira up from school, making good on his promise to Hanari who'd asked him to take care of Reira while she was in the hospital. When he asked the six year old about it, she was actually quite happy to spend the next week or so with him at his house. Kakashi also found that spending time with her was a lot more enjoyable and fun than he initially thought it would be.

He was also glad that he remembered to hide all of his Icha Icha novels from her curious eyes. That was a conversation he didn't want to have with anyone of the female persuasion under the age of twenty. _Ever._

Right now, he was making good on his promise to buy Reira ice cream if she let him date her mom… even if Hanari had shut her down in the end. He felt he owed her something for that, and ice cream didn't seem all that bad of a method of repayment.

So here they were, sitting on a bench watching people walk through the park. Kakashi was enjoying a vanilla and chocolate twist ice cream cone, while Reira – as would be expected from a six year old kid – was eating a five scoop vanilla sundae covered with hot fudge, peanut butter and caramel sauce, topped with whipped cream and sprinkles. Cherries finished off each mound of the high calorie monstrosity.

_Ah, to have the metabolism of a child once again, Kakashi thought wistfully. Naruto is the only other person I know who isn't pregnant that could finish that off and not gain ten pounds. I swear, with her outgoing personality, high energy and eating habits, sometimes I wonder if Naruto was lying when he said she wasn't his daughter…_

"Thanks so much for buying me ice cream, mister Kakashi!" Reira exclaimed as she shoveled a large spoonful into her mouth. "Mif if delishish!" Three more scoops made it into her mouth in rapid succession.

"You're welcome. Just don't eat it too fast or you'll get…"

Reira suddenly dropped her spoon and groaned, grabbing the sides of her head.

"A cold headache," Kakashi sighed. He quickly grabbed the sundae to keep it from falling on the ground and placed it on the bench, before creating a shadow clone to run off and get her another spoon.

He waited until the pain subsided and she dropped her hands, then decided to fill the silence with some conversation while they were waiting for his clone to get back.

"So, I was wondering… are you enjoying staying with me at my house?"

She nodded. "Yes sir, mister Kakashi. I mean, not that I don't like living with miss Hinata and mister Naruto though. It's nice and all, it's just that I… I kind of miss seeing Hikaru-kun every day."

Kakashi smiled underneath his mask. He found it adorable that Reira always wanted to be around Hikaru. Thank Kami she didn't have the same problem with shyness that Hinata had at her age.

"You know, you don't have to use 'mister' before my name. Calling me Kakashi will work just fine."

She shook her head. "No. My mom told me I always need to be polite and have manners, so I should call you 'mister'. Unless maybe…"

They were interrupted by the shadow clone as it returned with a fresh spoon and handed it to Reira before disappearing in a cloud of smoke. Kakashi placed the sundae back in her lap but noticed she didn't start eating right away, instead staring absently at the melting piles of whipped cream.

For someone who only a few minutes ago was devouring it like there was no tomorrow, it was completely out of character.

"Reira, what's the matter? Is something wrong?"

She glanced guiltily at Kakashi for a brief moment before staring at the sundae in her lap once again.

"Mister Kakashi, can I ask you something kinda personal? And can you promise not to tell Mom?"

The girl sounded uncharacteristically moody and serious. He stopped eating his ice cream and gave her his full attention.

"Sure, Reira. I promise. What's on your mind?"

She chewed her lower lip for a second. "I-It's about my dad. Mom doesn't talk about him much, but I know she knows who he is." She glanced sidelong at Kakashi. "Do you know who he is?"

_Ah. So that's what it was._ "Actually I do, Reira. But I don't think it's my place to tell you that."

"Was he mean to my mom? Is that why she doesn't talk about him?" she asked after another pause.

"Well, I don't know him personally. In fact, I've never met him so I can't say for sure if he… wasn't nice to your mom. But she's told me more than a few times that he treated her badly."

Reira went back to quietly staring at the sundae in her lap. Kakashi waited a minute before going back to eating, since his ice cream was starting to drip down the sides of the cone.

"Mister Kakashi?"

"Hmm?" he asked, taking another lick.

"Would you like to be my new dad?"

Kakashi choked on his mouthful of ice cream. "W-What?" he sputtered, caught off guard by her question.

She shrugged and stared back at Kakashi with hopeful eyes. "Well, I thought about what you just said and you know, why would I want someone like that to be my dad? I mean, my mom really likes you and you're awfully nice to both of us. So I figured you should be my dad and not that other guy. And that way I can call you Dad and not mister Kakashi."

Kakashi eye smiled at her and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly with his free hand. "Umm, I'm flattered you'd ask me that Reira, I really am but I don't know if your mom and I are ready for that… step in our relationship just yet. Maybe that'll happen someday, but I think right now your mom still has a lot of stuff to work through before anything like that happens."

"Oh, okay." Reira sounded a little disappointed. "At least you're making my mom happy. Maybe it's because you let her be on top when she stays at your house." She said offhandedly, dipping her spoon into her sundae again.

This time Kakashi actually did a spittake with his ice cream. "E-EXCUSE ME?" he exclaimed, aghast. "What do you mean by that?"

"Oh, I just figured that when mom stayed over you guys slept in bunkbeds." Reira shoveled another scoop into her mouth. "Anf eferyone knowf that the top bunk is more fun to sleep in." She stared innocently at Kakashi. "Whenever mom comes home the next day after sleeping over, she's always **_really_** happy so I figured you let her have the top bunk. Am I right?"

"Er, umm… yeah." Kakashi sweatdropped as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "You got it. Your mom gets the top bunk every time." _Mental note – talk to Hanari as soon as possible to cover for the lie I just told._

Both of them went back to eating and watching the children play on the swings. Reira's spook clinked against her dish with every spoonful of ice cream she ate.

The sound of two familiar voices caused them to turn their heads. A ways off in the distance, Sakura and Ino were walking side by side through the park, chatting happily with each other as Sakura pushed a stroller with Mikomi in it.

Reira scrunched her face as she watched the two of them continue down the pathway. "Mister Kakashi – is that…?"

Kakashi knew what she was hinting at. "Yes, Reira. The one with the pink hair is Sakura Uchiha, and she's Hikaru's birth mother. However, we don't talk about it because it's a very sensitive subject with Naruto, Hinata and Hikaru. It'd be best if you kept that information to yourself."

Reira narrowed her eyes and continued to stare at her for another minute. Kakashi wondered why she was so focused on Sakura – other than the obvious, of course. It wasn't a big secret around the village that Reira was very protective of Hikaru, even if she was only six years old. She got full on defensive at anything or anyone that made him angry or upset.

"There's something… weird about her chakra."

That piqued Kakashi's interest. Reira wouldn't say something like that without good reason. "Weird? Like how?"

"You know how I can tell what a person's chakra feels like?"

He nodded his head.

"Well… hers reminds me of a broken mirror."

Kakashi cocked his eyebrow. "That's pretty confusing, Reira. What do you mean it's like a broken mirror?"

"Umm… it's kinda sharp, like shards of glass but there's only one crack in it, and its right down the middle. There's two sides to her chakra – the left side seems foggy, and the right side feels… scratched." She shook her head, looking just as confused as Kakashi seemed to be. "I don't know how else to put it. It's weird. And it doesn't make any sense."

Now it was Kakashi's turn to narrow his eye at Sakura. Since he'd first found out about her ability, not once had Reira been wrong with her assessment of a person's chakra. Being able to strip away a person's outer layers and seeing what really makes them up was a very insightful thing to have.

One thing was for sure, though – if she was concerned about something, then without a doubt he should be as well.

He resolved to talk with Tsunade about it within the next week or so, since before she went into the hospital, the former Hokage had been holding weekly therapy sessions with her apprentice. Maybe she could find out what Reira actually meant with her 'broken mirror' comment.

Until then, he decided to just let it go and enjoy spending time with the sunny little girl sitting beside him – whose eyes were now silently pleading with him for more ice cream.

* * *

**_***Timeskip – Eleven Days after Naruto left for Kirigakure***_**

"Ugh. I swear the first thing I'm going to do when I get out of here is fire whoever is cooking the food."

Tsunade was lying in her bed at the hospital with her eyes closed, rubbing her stomach in an effort to soothe it. It had been a little over an hour since she forced what passed for dinner in this place down her throat. Hospital food wasn't supposed to be good, since it encouraged people to get better and leave as soon as possible, but this stuff pushed even **_her_** limits.

From the sharp pain in her abdomen, she figured her appendix agreed and was begging her to end its misery. It was either that, or she'd just come down with botulism.

As luck would have it, she didn't have to wait very much longer. Between Sakura's treatments and Tsunade using her Hyakugou to boost the healing process, hopefully she'd be released in three days. She still had about a month of physical therapy ahead of her, which meant light duty at the hospital and restricted use of her chakra… but anything was better than being confined to this bed and eating what passed for food in this place.

"Well, it looks like you finally listened to someone else's advice for once."

Tsunade opened her eyelids. Naruto was sitting casually on the windowsill, clad in his Hokage robe which was covered in a fine layer of dust from traveling. He had bags underneath his eyes, but his bright blue eyes twinkled with mirth.

She blinked a few times, thinking the food was causing her to hallucinate. She was glad to see that he didn't disappear.

"Hey gaki," she said, smiling happily at him. "It's good to see you."

"Good to see you too, Baa-chan," he replied, smiling back as he hopped into the room.

Her heart swelled at hearing him call her by that name once again. She'd missed it far more than she would have thought, especially since she found it more irritating than cute about ten years ago.

"How long were you sitting there?"

Naruto shrugged. "Not long, maybe a minute. I was watching you trying to keep your stomach from doing backflips." He smirked and plopped down in the chair next to her bed. "I take it dinner wasn't very good. When did you eat?"

"A little over an hour ago – and I'm firing the cook once I get out of here. Maybe you can find a job for him with Ibiki over in the interrogation department." She let loose with a particularly rancid belch. "Two days of that food and you'll have even the most stubborn prisoners singing like a bird."

Naruto chuckled. "I'll think about it."

"When did you get back from Kiri?"

He placed his index finger over his lips. "Ssshh. Technically I'm not back yet. Everyone else that came with me is still a couple of hours away, but I used the Hiraishin to come back here early."

Tsunade's eyebrows rose. "Why'd you do that?"

He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. Clearly the trip to Kirigakure had been very taxing. "Well, I know I promised to come see you _after_ I had the meeting with the Hyūga clan but I didn't want to wait that long. I figured we could talk while we share that bottle of saké I bought you." His eyes wandered around the room. "Where is it?"

"Shizune took it," Tsunade said crossly, growling at the memory of that particular incident. She wanted it left alone because it was a gift from Naruto, and she considered it a symbol of his forgiveness but her assistant had a different opinion. "She said there was no reason for it to be in the hospital – and she didn't want me tempted to drink it while I was here."

The heart rate monitor stared beeping faster. "She grabbed it one day while I was hopped up on painkillers and sleeping. It's either been poured down the drain by now, or she and Iruka shared it already. When I stop being incarcerated here and go back to running this place again, I'm putting her on bedpan duty for two solid weeks in the senior ward and making sure they eat an all-prune diet the entire time."

Naruto laughed both her frustration, **and** creativity in plotting her revenge. Trust Tsunade to get so worked up over the loss of some perfectly good alcohol. "Then it's a good thing I'm one step ahead of her," he said, reaching into his coat and producing a bottle of saké and two cups.

"Gaki, what are you…" She eyed the bottle and wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Look, as much as I appreciate the gesture, that brand is what they serve in the worst dive bars in Konoha. If I drink it, I'll probably have to stay here an extra week."

"Oh, don't let the bottle fool you. I had a feeling something like that might happen, so I swapped out the contents of this," he said, waving the bottle in front of her face, "with the one I left you. So whether she poured it down the drain or not, all Shizune took out of your room was cheap rotgut. And **WE**…" he chuckled, placing the cups down on the nightstand and filling them up, "get to enjoy the good stuff that I spent a small fortune on."

The heart rate monitor calmed down as Tsunade stared at him in surprise, before laughing along with him.

"I'm sorry, but I have to be honest… I never expected you to do something so sneaky. The kid I remember would've just stolen the bottle back and booby trapped her office with a paint bomb." She smirked and shook her head in denial. "I guess sometimes I still see the oblivious kid who left rather than the man who came back."

"Well, you're not the only one. I'm a lot better than what I was, but there's still some areas I haven't changed in." He handed her a cup and then took his own. "A toast… to new beginnings."

She clinked her cup with his and brought it to her nose, inhaling the aroma. The odor was sweet yet powerful, and she could tell immediately that this was an exceptional vintage. She upended the glass and downed the saké in one shot, taking her first drink of alcohol in months. The liquid passed her lips, traveling smoothly down her throat and filling her with warmth, leaving no bitter aftertaste.

Tsunade smiled in the afterglow of it all. It wasn't merely the high quality alcohol that was making her giddy – it was the company that came along with it. However, she noticed Naruto wasn't smiling at all. He'd swallowed his saké and was now staring at his empty glass, fiddling with it in his hands.

The scene before her was pretty common. With the exception of the drinks, this was just like her weekly sessions with Sakura.

"So, you said you wanted to talk. What about, exactly?"

Naruto paused for a moment, then heaved a heavy sigh. "It's… about our fight. And what happened." When he raised his head to look at her, his eyes were filled with regret. "I… I wanted to apologize. And say I'm sorry. Again."

"Well, we've both done things we're sorry for. So I'll only accept your apology if you accept mine."

Naruto smiled hesitantly at her. He didn't know if that was a fair exchange, but he wasn't going to get into a bickering match over who held the most guilt. He decided it was best to just let the matter drop.

"There is… one other thing I'd like to ask you, though." Tsunade opened the top drawer to her nightstand and pulled out the note Naruto had left her. "When we were fighting, you used the word 'monster' quite a bit – and I know you weren't talking about Kurama. And then in this thing, you said its past time you told me about what really happened while you were gone – because maybe I could help you fix what was broken."

"The more I thought about it, the more I realized the two were connected somehow. But it's the monster comment that bothered me more than anything. I know what Sakura and I did was part of it, and you have a right to feel the way that you do, but… there's more to it than that. And it has to do with where you snuck off to for eight years."

Naruto took a deep, shaky breath. He still had a problem talking about that period of his life, but he needed to make things right with Tsunade, Hinata and most of all himself. At this point, he really didn't have a choice.

He rolled up his sleeves and revealed his tattoos. "Baa-chan – have you ever heard of the Mienai Segi?"

A ghost of a shiver ran down her spine when he said the name. Just before she'd stepped down as Hokage scraps of information had started to trickle in about the reclusive organization. Missions were suicidal, no matter what the level. They ranged from assassination attempts to eliminating entire strongholds of fringe cultists. Even the most seasoned elite jōnin would hesitate in taking them on, unless they had a death wish…

…which Tsunade knew Naruto most certainly did.

She stared impassively at his tattoos for a moment before answering. "Just rumors and innuendos, mostly. Nothing concrete. But I'm guessing you have."

After a brief pause, Naruto nodded his head and began his story, starting two weeks after he convinced Sasuke to return to Konoha. He'd been traveling through the mountains in-between Suna and Iwa, trying to forget his sorrow and heartache and finding no success. All he could think about was how easy it would be to take a step – just one wrong step and fall, plummeting hundreds of feet into the jagged rocks at the bottom. He'd had the same recurring thought over the last week and he'd shrugged it off time and time again, until today when he'd found himself teetering on the edge of a cliff, waiting for a gust of wind to come along and give him that last push towards ending his pitiful, empty existence.

Then a breeze caressed his back, and he knew the end was close. He could almost see Fate, ready to cut the thread of his life with a razor sharp kunai. He closed his eyes and lifted his foot ever so slightly, hoping the breeze would help him take that final step towards oblivion…

…when the peace of the moment was broken and screams echoed throughout the mountain air. He scowled and shook his head violently, trying to clear the sound from his mind.

_He didn't want to deal with it. The pain, the constant struggle… He just wanted all of it to end… That's all he cared about…_

A second round of screams assaulted his ears. These were laced with agony and desperation.

He ground his teeth and clenched his fists in frustration, digging his nails hard enough into his palms to draw blood. Every time… _every fucking time_ he got close something came along and stopped him. And as much as he wanted to die, he couldn't ignore someone in need, no matter how much he tried. It just wasn't in his nature.

Within minutes he was at the source – a small camp of particularly strong bandits that had been raiding several of the surrounding villages. Women screamed as they were assaulted and raped by disgustingly filthy, scarred men. Nearby, cages were filled with children who extended their hands futilely, crying out for their mothers. It was obvious that they, along with any women who survived would be sold into slavery.

The sight sickened him so much that something deep within him snapped and surged to the surface. His anger boiled over, transforming into an unstoppable rage and he descended on the men like the Shinigami with fiery, blood red eyes. He laughed in disbelief when for a fleeting, almost infinitesimal moment the bandits thought they had a chance against him by sheer virtue of numbers.

His memory of what happened after that was mostly a blur. The last clear thing he remembered was ripping the spine out of someone he'd pinned to the ground. Afterwards, he looked coldly around at the remains of the bandits, taking in every violent and gruesome detail before releasing the women and children to return home. They fled in terror from the bloodstained monster with soulless, dead eyes who'd just slaughtered a small battalion of men without mercy or remorse.

After that, he walked to the center and collapsed wearily to his knees, surrounded by the carnage he created. And that's when Saladin found him.

Naruto didn't make a move to defend himself. Killing him would have been child's play but the overwhelming look of loss, the vacant stare of the emotionally defeated man sitting in front of him reminded Saladin too much of himself… and that perhaps, this was someone worth saving.

He introduced himself as the leader of the Mienai Segi, then looked deep within Naruto's heart and mind and saw for what he truly was – simply a good person who always thought of others before himself, but who also had been shattered and broken by someone he trusted. And the young man in front of him just didn't want to deal with the pain anymore.

For Saladin, who could sympathize with that point of view, it was enough. He offered him a chance to join the Mienai Segi, giving him direction and purpose – along with a way to channel his anger in a way to save innocent lives. The principles of strength and discipline would be his guide. He would make Naruto stronger, in order to defend those who needed protection – as well as eliminate some of the darker strains of humanity that dotted the earth, like the bandits he'd slaughtered. Survival was unlikely – the odds of him dying within a year were exceedingly high, even with the training but one thing was certain… many lives would be saved before his own was extinguished.

Naruto didn't hesitate, even for a second and accepted the offer.

He told Tsunade about his missions. The deaths of his comrades. The pain and torture he put his body through in order to grow stronger. The lifeless stares of the innocent people he couldn't save because he wasn't strong, or fast, or smart enough.

And so it went; a vicious cycle seemingly without end. He trained mercilessly. He grew far stronger than he ever thought he could. The potential for death rose with each successive mission he undertook and yet somehow, he survived. He rose through the ranks of the Mienai Segi, becoming one of the senior members placed in charge of others when they were assigned some of the more difficult missions. Eventually, he gained enough power so that no one either under his command or protection died.

But through it all, one thing never changed – and that was the look of indescribable loss in his eyes. Throughout most of his life, he'd fought to protect his precious people and he'd been betrayed by the one who was supposedly the most precious of all. If she could do it so callously, who would be next? Why even allow it to happen again?

Suddenly, it didn't matter anymore. Being dead to his emotions was better than even the slightest bit of feeling. He finally understood why Sasuke became so sullen and reclusive – he'd followed the same path, but instead of power Naruto went searching for his death. The power he'd obtained was simply a byproduct.

In the end it was that power, coupled with his lack of emotion that created a monster without remorse or concern. One powerful enough to wipe out a village, an army… or even make a single person disappear without a trace. It could be silent, or show itself with an overwhelming display of deadly force. And with every passing month he kept feeding the monster, making it stronger and pushing himself closer to the brink. Each day he took another step towards the edge of that cliff he almost went over.

Hinata was the one who pulled him back from that edge. Hikaru was the one who helped him walk away from it. And his two unborn children made sure he'd never go near that edge again. Every single one of them gave new meaning to his life.

He was Hokage now. The people of Konoha were under his protection. They gave him purpose and direction. He had friends once again. Sasuke even thought of him not only as a rival, but as a brother – something Naruto had wanted since their first days at the academy.

Tsunade sat motionless in her bed, hands clasping her saké cup in front of her. Occasionally she would wince at some of the more gruesome and sensitive parts of his story. She waited patiently, watching and listening as Naruto explained his eight years of trials and tribulations, but now she felt the need to speak up.

"So if that's all true," she asked, interrupting him, "then why aren't you happy?"

Naruto glared at her. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Tsunade rolled her eyes and snorted. "Don't insult my intelligence, gaki. You may have joked about how I'm getting senile during our fight, but my brain and ears work just fine. For almost an hour now, you've went on and on about everything that happened while you were gone from the village, and then wrapped it all up by spending five or ten minutes talking about all the good things you have now in your life."

"So what? I was gone from the village for eight years. I've been back for less than a year, so how much I talk about each one is gonna be lopsided."

"Bullshit. You would have spent an equal amount of time on both. And then there's our fight."

"What about it?" he asked flatly.

"I've had a lot of time to think about it over the last week or so, since Sakura won't let me do anything else while I'm lying here in bed." Tsunade wasn't going to beat around the bush with any of this. What Naruto needed right now was the blunt and honest truth. "I knew going into that fight my chances were slim to none, but I did it anyway and you know why? Part of it was the prize you offered, but most of it was because I agreed with what you said. We weren't getting anywhere with you being angry, and me feeling guilty all the time. And if beating the crap out of me was going to help us both, then…"

Naruto began to protest but she held up her hand, stopping him. "Don't. You had a right to be angry. I deserved everything I got and more. But during the fight, you could have pushed me a lot harder than you did. You could have hit me a lot more than you did. Hell, there was even half a dozen times when you could have knocked me out but you were holding back – a lot." Tsunade snorted at her own overconfidence. "I'm one of the Sannin, but even I knew I was outclassed when you pulled that massive jutsu out of your ass at the end."

"This fight was supposed to make things better, but the only thing that's changed is that I'm here in the hospital, you've forgiven me and you're feeling guilty about it all, which you shouldn't." Tsunade pointed an accusatory finger at him. "But you're not any happier, and I think you should ask yourself why."

Her tone was like a slap in the face. There was an uncomfortable silence for a minute or so as he thought about what she said, trying to come up with a suitable answer. He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples, dissatisfied with the one he came up with, but he really didn't have anything better.

"I… I don't know. I guess I'm still having a hard time trusting people. After what happened with Sakura… and even the people I worked with in the Mienai Segi… I learned to trust them. I had to basically, but even that's come back to bite me in the ass. There's four or five of them out there right now that went rogue. They killed Saladin, and I'm sure they're coming after me and Hanari next – maybe even my family."

"I'm just… I think I'm just afraid to feel again." He shook his head. "No, that's wrong. I think I'm afraid to feel **more** again. I learned the hard way about misplacing my trust and… love with people. I always did things a certain way, believing I knew what I was doing but then, what happened with Sakura… After that, I shut myself down emotionally because it was easier to deal with life that way. I've gone so long keeping my guard up, building wall after wall around me that I don't know how to tear them down."

Naruto drew a shaky breath, trying to keep himself steady and in control but with each passing word, it grew more difficult. "I know what I've become. I'm not in denial about it. I've gone from someone who always tried to talk things out to being someone who can kill without a second thought. I'm not the warm and fuzzy person I used to be. Instead I'm this mistrusting, harsh, unfeeling monster and sometimes I don't know where that monster ends, and where the REAL me should start. I'm scared to death that it'll get out and hurt somebody, and I want it gone before something like that happens but to be honest, I don't think I know how."

"Hinata loves me more than anything, and I know I love her. She married me knowing how damaged I am. If there's anyone I should trust, it's her. I mean, she almost sacrificed her life for me when Pain attacked. She took care of Hikaru for eight years and now she's pregnant with twins, but… I'm still afraid. I know it's stupid and irrational, but I wonder all the time about her leaving me." He laughed bitterly and placed his head in his hands. "It's ironic, isn't it? I used to be the eternal optimist, but now I can't stop being a pessimist. I've got so much good in my life and I still keep looking for the bad."

As Tsunade listened to the upset, confused and frightened blond pour his heart out, her eyes moistened and an ache developed in her chest. Naruto never gave up, and never went back on his word – it was his nindō. So when he committed himself to something, he did so wholeheartedly, with every fiber of his being… and that included his relationship with both her and Sakura.

The two of them didn't just break his heart, they'd broken _all_ of him – and what little of his emotions that remained weren't being given the opportunity to grow. The problem was that Naruto was unintentionally starving those emotions, keeping them from getting strong again because he didn't think he could survive being hurt a second time.

Tsunade knew without a doubt that Naruto hadn't talked with Hinata about any of this. Right now he sounded confused, embarrassed and frightened and for whatever the reason, he'd come to her in confidence and there was no way she'd betray that trust. Naruto was going to need lots of help – Hinata and Hikaru should be his main focus and source of inspiration, but she needed to support him behind the scenes, convincing and encouraging him to keep going.

She also knew a gentle approach wouldn't work with Naruto in his current state. He needed an ice-cold bucket of reality thrown in his face to get things moving.

"Naruto, your problem isn't that complicated. You're just afraid – and asking for help is such a foreign concept to you that you didn't even think about it in the first place until you felt guilty about kicking the shit out of me."

"Huh?" Naruto blinked a few times in surprise. "Hey, that's not true. I've thought…"

"What's not true? Because out of every single memory I have of you leaping headlong into a fight, not once did you ask for help. Oh sure, you were offered help and half of the time you didn't turn it down, but I can't remember you ever asking for help from the get-go. You're doing the same thing now as you did back then – and I'm pretty much an expert at spotting something like that, because it's the same thing that I did for almost twenty years."

"Okay, you lost me. Even if I believed what you're saying – which I don't, by the way – how in the world is my situation even remotely similar to what you think happened to you?"

"Because they are you stupid, hardheaded, pain in the ass!" Tsunade yelled in frustration. "Nawaki just turned twelve when he ran into an explosive trap and died. A few years later during the second shinobi war Dan was injured and died in my arms. I would have done anything to save them but in the end, all I did was fail. After that, I decided loving anyone would only lead to more misery." Her face was suddenly lined with the same weariness and regret that Naruto had shown earlier. "The only difference between you and me was that you wanted to die, but I… I just wanted to forget."

"So I took Dan's niece Shizune and left the village, gambling my life away and drowning myself in alcohol any chance I got." She must have realized how depressing this all must have sounded, because the look in her eyes softened before she continued. "It wasn't until some loudmouthed, ignorant brat came along, shouting at the top of his lungs about how he'd achieve the impossible that I even considered the possibility of caring about someone like that again."

Tsunade reached out and cupped the side of his face. "When I look at you I see Minato's strength in your eyes and Kushina's tenacity in your heart. I see Jiraiya, and his legacy that lives on in you. I see my little brother Nawaki, and his dream of becoming Hokage. And I know they'd all agree with me when I say how very proud I am of you and what you've accomplished."

She quirked her lips and gave him a playful slap on the cheek, like she was trying to knock some sense into him. "But your main problem is exactly the same as I used to have. You're not going to get better if you don't open up more and start trusting people. You finally have something worth living for. You have a family, but you haven't truly embraced that fact because you don't want to risk it. You're terrified of what it would mean if you lost them, and you can't be happy if you're constantly expecting the worst."

"You don't want to trust me? Or Kakashi? Or even Iruka? Fine. But you should at least trust Hinata, so start with her. Don't just tell her you love her, _show_ her. Flowers are nice but physical contact, like hugs are even better. Talk to her, even about the littlest things that happen during your day. If you're feeling up to it, maybe you can even talk about some of the things you mentioned here tonight. You might not want to burden other people with your problems, but you and I both know she's in a better position to help you than I am."

"Hinata has her own fears. Some of them went away when you two were married, but that doesn't mean new ones haven't popped up. She needs someone to talk to, just like you do and that means a little bit of give and take on both sides. Sharing means a lot to a woman, especially one that's pregnant." Tsunade smiled warmly. "So stop being passive and do something… anything, even if it's small." She chastised him. "You'll be surprised at how much of an impact it'll have on both your lives."

Naruto was having a hard time believing the answer was as simple as that. "You think that's all it'll take?" he asked sarcastically.

"Honestly? No, I don't. Little things like this will help, but you'll need something big to make a real impact. One thing I **do** know is that you're not helping matters any by sitting there like a bump on a log. So while you're waiting for whatever this big event is to come along, take the initiative with Hinata. She's waited for you and loved you without question for most of her life, so she deserves to be the first person you open up emotionally to."

Naruto swallowed thickly. The answer might be simple, but that didn't mean it was going to be easy. In fact, it might just be one of the hardest things he'd ever done. He nodded slowly in agreement. "I'll try."

"Good. Then let me be the first in what will hopefully be a long line of people." Tsunade motioned for him to come closer and he did so hesitantly, moving from his chair to the side of her bed. She scrunched her face a bit as a twinge of pain lanced through her side, but she pushed it aside and sat up, wrapping her arms comfortingly around him.

"I love you, gaki. You mean more to me than anything. I should've realized that years ago, but promise I know it now. And I swear I'll never forget it again."

Naruto froze for a moment before returning the gesture. "I love you too, Baa-chan. And thank you for listening to me. And for helping me. I… I really appreciate it."

The hug was nice and very much needed, but as the moment stretched on Naruto realized Tsunade wasn't going to end it. He'd have to be the one to do it and fortunately enough, he had a good excuse to use.

"So…" he said, grinning impishly, "how about we finish off that bottle of saké? I'm going to need something to help me sleep tonight, since Hinata still has me using the couch."

* * *

"Are you implying that you will not honor the agreement that you yourself signed, honored elder?"

The question had been asked by Hiashi Hyūga, current head of the Hyūga clan who was sitting in his position of authority at the front of the room. To his right were seated the nine members other than himself who made up the Hyūga council, including the person he'd just addressed who happened to be the head elder.

She also happened to be an old, crotchety, stodgy, crusty, inflexible pain in the ass, even by Hyūga standards. Privately, Hiashi despised her – even more so recently, since after his conversations with Naruto, he'd come to realize how much she'd influenced his life and shaped his personality since his beloved Hitomiko had died.

The people seated on his left were his immediate family. Being the heir to the clan, Neji was closest. Normally Hanabi would be next but she had generously given up that position to Tenten. She was seated third, and Konohamaru was next to her in the fourth position.

But it was the next two that was irritating half of the elders and causing the tension in the room to rise.

Hinata, who was still disowned by the clan, was at the very end in the sixth seat. But in-between her and Konohamaru in the fifth seat sat the current Hokage of Konoha, Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze. He was leaning back in his chair with his feet propped up on the table in front of him, arms crossed over his chest as he noisily ate a plate of dango that had been provided at his request.

Hiashi frowned at his son-in-law. He knew Naruto didn't have a proper upbringing but this behavior was unacceptable, even for him. Just as he opened his mouth to address the Hokage's horrible lack of decorum, Neji passed him a note.

_He's doing it on purpose to unsettle the elders. He has something planned. We should let it play out for now._

Hiashi chided himself silently for missing something so subtle – although, having Neji recognize it was comforting in its own way. It meant that he would be a strong and effective leader of the clan, and bring about the change that was so desperately needed. He smiled inwardly, grateful that Naruto convinced him to take this path several months ago.

_Hizashi, you would be proud of your son. I only wish you were here to see this, brother._

"I am implying nothing, Hiashi." The head elder glared at him and sneered. "But I find it very… _interesting_ that the agreement to have Neji Hyūga succeed you as next head of the clan was predicated on removal of the caged bird seal. You assured us at the time we signed the document that no such solution existed. The council verified the truth of this statement and yet, we are gathered here because the impossible somehow became… _possible._"

"Hiashi…" Naruto noisily ate the last piece of dango and gestured dramatically towards the woman with the now empty skewer. "…who is this?"

"This is…"

"I can answer for myself Hiashi, thank you very much," the woman replied tartly. "I am Nezumi Hyūga, head elder of the clan." She bowed her head ever so slightly in respect. "It's a… _pleasure_ to meet you, Lord Hokage."

Naruto recognized the forced undertone in her greeting – and he was sure no one else missed it either. She was probably only going that far because Hyūga manners dictated she do so. Not that he cared about her opinion of him in the slightest.

"Ah… so **_this_** is the infamous Nezumi Hyūga that I've heard _soooo_ much about. In that case, the pleasure is _obviously_ mine." Naruto replied mockingly. "I am curious, though – are you the head elder because you're the oldest, or the strongest? I'm guessing it's the former, but I've learned from experience not to assume anything."

Nezumi scowled at him. "I will ignore your comment in deference to your position, Lord Hokage. Your insolence aside please tell us, why is **she** here?" She extended her arm and pointed a bony, arthritic ridden finger at Hinata.

"Who, Hinata-hime?" Naruto purposely added the honorific, knowing it would irritate the old crone to no end. "Oh, she's here because I'm a member of this clan and she's my wife so naturally, I invited her to attend this meeting. Besides, as the First Lady of Konoha, she probably outranks you anyways." He cocked an eyebrow and looked towards the person seated in the position closest to Hiashi. "Wouldn't you agree, Neji?"

The future head of the clan sat stone faced, with his back ramrod straight. He was the picture of Hyūga propriety – with the notable exception of his lips, which were twitching as he struggled to suppress his laughter. Hanabi, Tenten and Konohamaru weren't faring much better.

As for Hinata, she couldn't help but smile. Fortunately enough, it was hidden by her bangs as she bowed her head. Her husband may not be the most tactful person around, but he always supported and defended her without a second thought – plus, she knew what he was doing right now was partially for her benefit. The remainder was for Neji and the rest of the branch family. She couldn't speak, so she opted instead to send a wave of gratitude to him through the seal on her hand.

Knowing she was thanking him, Naruto took a cue from his talk with Tsunade and sent back thoughtfulness, along with an incredibly powerful amount of love.

Hinata felt the warmth of his response creep up her arm and her face flushed. If he kept this up, tonight might end up being the perfect night for putting her plan into motion. And it wasn't like he didn't deserve it, especially after the debriefing in his office the day after he returned from Kirigakure, which of course she insisted on attending…

**_***Flashback***_**

"So you're saying you settled things with Lady Tsunade?"

"Yeah." Naruto said ruefully. "Last night, I used the Hiraishin to come back a couple of hours early so I could get the jump on talking to Baa-chan, but our conversation ran _way_ longer than expected. I think the bottle of saké we polished off might've have something to do with that." He waved his hand dismissively. "Anyway, by the time I got home you were already asleep and I didn't want to wake you up. I saw the pillow and blankets on the couch so I kissed your forehead and went to sleep myself. I figured I'd talk to you first thing in the morning, and here we are."

A light shade of pink dusted her cheeks. Hinata thought she'd imagined that. She swiveled her head towards one of the two other people currently in the Hokage's office. The first was Kakashi, and the second would give her the unbiased, plain and honest truth about everything that… _transpired_ during the trip.

"Lee, tell me… was Naruto-kun on his best behavior while he was in Kiri?"

Lee struck a nice guy pose and gave her a thumbs-up. "Absolutely, Hinata-chan! Naruto-kun was a picture of graciousness and professionalism during the entire time we were in Kirigakure."

"I see." She cast a sidelong glance at Naruto out of the corner of her eye. "So then, any flirtatious overtures by the Mizukage towards my husband were immediately rebuffed by him?"

Lee blinked owlishly. Her line of questioning wasn't really making much sense to him. "Well, she did seem overly friendly towards Naruto-kun at first, but that all changed after our taijutsu spar."

Hinata didn't like the sound of that. "Are you saying that Naruto-kun participated in a taijutsu spar with the Mizukage?"

"No, not at all." Lee gestured wildly with his hands as he explained. "As we all know, Naruto-kun loves to train so the morning after we arrived in Kiri, he made a very youthful suggestion to have a friendly taijutsu match. Upon hearing this, the Mizukage and her assistant Chojuro decided to come along and observe, since I **am** one of the foremost taijutsu masters in the world – after Guy-sensei, of course." He scrunched his forehead as a thought suddenly occurred to him. "You know, I didn't realize it at the time, but she _was_ rather insistent about it…"

Hinata glared at Naruto, who was leaning casually back in his chair, arms crossed in front of his chest with a smirk on his face. He seemed unconcerned about anything Lee was saying.

Kakashi hadn't moved. His nose was still buried in his Icha Icha novel. Hinata absently noted it was the next one in the series she was reading.

"So what happened during this taijutsu spar you had with my husband?"

"Well, nothing significant really. Our flames of youth were burning brightly that morning, that much is certain. We began with some light blows, testing the limits of how far our training has taken us before we decided to fight with the zeal that only truly dedicated shinobi can realize through countless hours of hard work."

"Naruto-kun's speed was quite impressive, and he has certainly improved since I fought him last." He nodded his head towards Naruto in praise. "There were times when I entertained the thought of opening the First Gate in order to keep up with him, but that would have been very unyouthful of me. We agreed not to overdo it, meaning I could not open any of my gates and Naruto-kun could not use Sage Mode or the Kyubi-san's power."

Hinata nodded solemnly – not so much in acknowledgement of Lee's rambling story, but rather that her husband learned his lesson after what happened with Tsunade.

"Our battle was fierce! The power and ferocity behind our movements surely would have broken a lesser shinobi, but Naruto-kun and I knew that we were strong enough for a contest such as this!" As his explanation continued and he became more and more excited, Lee began to pantomime the fighting moves both he and Naruto used in the fight. "I threw a few punches, then he followed up with a roundhouse kick towards my stomach and several backflips, then I moved behind him to attack what I thought was his blindspot but he tricked me with a shadow clone! Then he appeared right behind me andtriedtopunchmykidneys, and then BOOM! He missed me and madeacraterintheground…"

"Lee! Lee, stop!" Hinata said in exasperation. "I appreciate your enthusiastic storytelling, but perhaps we can dispense with the finer details for the moment and just focus on the important aspects?"

Lee calmed down and bowed his head. "Of course, Hinata-chan. I'm sorry I let my youthful passion get the best of me. Anyway, we were evenly matched throughout most of the fight, except for one point midway through the match when he used a particularly strong and concentrated wind jutsu against me. I barely managed to dodge, but a good portion of my outfit was destroyed."

"It would have been unyouthful for me to ask to stop the fight so that I could change into one of my spare outfits so I continued on. The battle was long and arduous but in the end we fought to a draw." Lee actually flushed a bit in embarrassment. "I was rather sweaty and in desperate need of a shower, but the Mizukage insisted on walking me back to the hotel we were staying in. I couldn't understand why she was suddenly far more interested in my company than Naruto-kun's, but then she asked me to join her for dinner, and…"

Hinata was only barely listening to him at the moment. With the sole exception of her husband, Lee was probably the most physically fit shinobi in all of Konoha and it didn't take a genius to figure out that Naruto had purposely shredded Lee's outfit during the fight, giving the Mizukage an eyeful of the taijutsu master's glistening and extremely ripped physique. Naruto, clad in his heavy shirt and Hokage robe quickly became an afterthought after that. Unfortunately for Lee, that little fact sailed right over his head…

…that is, until the door slammed open to reveal Arekusu, eyes burning red with rage.

"Kusu-chan!" Lee exclaimed in surprise. "I thought you were training with Guy-sensei…"

"Quit trying to change the subject! Are you saying that you spent time with the Mizukage after she watched you fight Hokage-sama without a shirt on? And then you joined her for dinner?"

"Well yes, but…"

"Why didn't you tell her no?" she growled.

Lee blinked owlishly at her as if that was the strangest question ever. "If I had declined her dinner invitation, along with her requests during the rest of the week to accompany her on several tours throughout the village, it would have been rude, Kusu-chan."

A tick developed over her eye. "And was the Mizukage hanging on your arm during these… _tours,_ Lee-kun?"

"Of course, Kusu-chan!" he exclaimed, smiling brilliantly. "A true gentleman always extends…"

**_***End Flashback***_**

Lee was unconscious when Arekusu dragged him out of the office. Hinata discovered afterwards that Naruto had sensed Arekusu outside his door from the start, but decided to keep quiet because he was in enough hot water as it was. She wasn't happy about making Lee the sacrificial lamb, and she felt a little guilty for thinking this way but if it was a choice between Lee or her husband entertaining the Mizukage while they were in Kiri, she definitely preferred Lee.

The only problem with that plan was sometimes their friend was much too honest and noble for his own good.

Hinata also realized how silly it was to think Naruto would ever entertain advances from another woman. By the time he'd gotten home that night, she'd decided to forgive him. He was off the couch and back in their bed and besides, it felt really nice to be able to snuggle with him again. Now that she didn't have to worry anymore, maybe she could finally get some sleep.

"I don't believe I heard you correctly, elder." Hiashi said icily, breaking Hinata out of her musings and bringing her attention back around to the meeting. "Are you insinuating that you have personal knowledge of a plot to end Neji's life once he becomes leader of this clan?"

"Not in the slightest, Hiashi." Nezumi said casually, but also with an underlying mocking tone. "I'm merely suggesting that life in general isn't very safe. Accidents _can_ and **_do_** happen. To anyone, at any time."

It was technically a half-truth and in a family full of the Byakugan, many Hyūga build their lives around statements such as these. But Hiashi would have to be a complete idiot not to believe that within an hour of leaving this meeting she, along with the other people on the council who followed her around like lapdogs would come up with some way to kill Neji, Tenten and their unborn child and make it look like an accident.

He looked over at his family, and they appeared to share the same sentiment. Both Neji and Tenten had blanched at the implications of Nezumi's statement. Hinata and Hanabi stiffened, but managed to maintain their Hyūga propriety. Being a clan head himself, Konohamaru was scowling but otherwise managed to maintain his poise.

However, Naruto wasn't happy… and anyone in the room who dared to look his way knew it.

_Kurama… are you alseep?_

**_Definitely not asleep, although I will admit my focus was elsewhere while you were exchanging veiled insults with the withered female. I began to pay more attention once your blood pressure and pulse rate began to spike._**

_I had good reason for that. You heard what she said?_

**_Even if I didn't, I have complete access to your memories. I'm well aware of what she said, and also what she didn't._**

_Then you should know that Hokage or not, there's no way I'm letting that go. She needs to be set straight about what happens when someone threatens my precious people. And I need your help to do it._

**_My help? May I ask why?_**

_There are four other elders on the council who are traditionalists, and they all blindly support Nezumi and every decision she makes, no matter what. That'll include some sort of secret plot to kill Neji, and probably Tenten and their baby. They need to know that if they have even a sliver of a thought of doing something like that – if I catch even a whiff that they're involved, evidence or not they'll have to deal with me… and in turn, you._

"And it only stands to reason that holding such a position as leader of the Hyūga clan," Nezumi continued, "which is without a doubt the most prestigious and powerful out of all the clans in Konoha, would increase the frequency of such… accidents."

**_I'm intrigued. What did you have in mind?_**

_How'd you like to make a personal appearance? I mean sure, I can use your chakra if I want to but let's face it – when it comes to terrifying people, you're way better at it than I am and I don't want to leave anything to chance. I want these people to shit themselves with fear. Just make sure they don't pass out._

**_I have to agree with you on that point. I certainly have far more experience than you in this area. And since the chakra belongs to me, my control far surpasses yours so it will be easier for me to accomplish what you're asking for._**

_Then when I give the signal, you can take over for a little bit. Just keep the scope of what you're doing small. Can you limit the area you're affecting to the meeting room only, and focus on the Hyūga council?_

**_I can, but you're being a spoilsport._**

_C'mon, Kurama. The last thing I need is everyone in Konoha panicking because they think you've gotten loose again. We both know things are different now, but old habits die hard. Deal?_

**_Fine, the fox huffed in disappointment. You have a deal. I'll be ready when you are, Naruto._**

"I'm sure there are several elders who sit on the council who would agree with my assessment." Nezumi finished, looking smugly between Hiashi and Neji. "Wouldn't you…"

"Hiashi," Naruto interrupted, sounding unusually formal. In fact, it was so out of character that everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to stare at him in undisguised shock.

Naruto's eyes were now a deep, cobalt blue and they burned with a cold fire, focused to a knifepoint intensity that no one else in the room, other than Hinata had ever seen. The temperature in the room had dropped a few degrees from the power he was leaking. His back was rigid, making his height only an inch or two higher than Konohamaru and Neji but the ominous presence hovering in the air behind him made him seem so much larger.

There was no doubt that right now, he was every bit the Hokage of Konoha.

"I'm sorry for my rudeness, but I have an immediate need to speak to Hinata in private." He bowed his head apologetically. "I would ask that you allow us to be excused for a few minutes to do so."

Hiashi and Neji glanced quizzically at each other, wondering what could be so important for Naruto to break protocol and temporarily leave a meeting that he himself had specifically asked to attend. But then Hiashi remembered Neji's note and realized that there was a hidden purpose behind everything Naruto was doing tonight.

"While it is rather unorthodox, you have my permission for a brief counsel." He bowed his head in response. "However, I would ask that you return as quickly as possible."

"Thank you." Naruto stood and extended a hand to Hinata, who stared at him curiously but took it and allowed him to lead her out of the room.

"Hinata, I'd like you to do me a favor," he said once the door was closed behind them. "I need you to take Tenten and Hanabi out of the meeting."

She pressed her lips together disapprovingly. Visions of what happened with Tsunade flashed through her mind. She felt like she was being dismissed again. "May I ask why, Naruto-kun?"

"Nezumi, and everyone else like who thinks like her on the Hyūga council need to know what happens when someone threatens people who are precious to me." Naruto grinned sadistically. "Kurama and I decided he should make an appearance and have a little… chat with them."

_Oh._ "That still doesn't explain why you need us to leave."

"Well, all of you are pregnant but Tenten and Hanabi are farther along than you are." The grin vanished from his face and Naruto rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "I'm just concerned that they might go into early labor. What he's gonna do will be pretty intense."

Hinata felt better after hearing his explanation. Naruto was only thinking about both them and their babies' health. But still…

"Whatever Kurama plans on doing, will he be directing it towards us?"

He shook his head. "No, but there might be some sort of residual effect. He told me he can keep it confined to the meeting room, so if all of you aren't there…"

Hinata took a step closer and placed her hand on his chest. "I understand your reasoning, Naruto-kun. And I appreciate your concern. But we will stay."

He blanched at her response. "I'd rather not chance it, Hinata. I…"

"Naruto-kun," she interrupted him firmly. "You made a point of saying earlier that I'm the First Lady of Konoha. That position alone holds a wealth of responsibilities, but I am also the former heiress of this clan, and so is Hanabi. Even more importantly, we are both Hyūga, and Tenten is about to become the First Lady of this clan."

"We will not show weakness in front of the council," she said sternly, "and Tenten will not be forced to face them alone. The three of us will not be cowed or scared. We will stand united. We will stay."

"Hinata, I…"

**_Naruto. Your mate has made this discussion pointless. My advice would be not to argue any further and agree with her._**

"Kurama? Have you gone as insane as Shukaku?"

**_Not in the least – and I find that comment rather insulting. Even if I suffered a traumatic blow to the head I'd still be far and away his intellectual superior. Regardless, your mate is correct. A show of weakness at this point, especially for the three females would be catastrophic, considering each one of them holds positions of power and influence. However, if they act in accordance with the titles they hold, then they should be fine._**

He furrowed his brow in confusion. "What are you talking about? How is that even possible?"

**_I doubt what I'm going to do will affect them. Perhaps on a fringe level, but not enough to initiate the birth process. They just need to remain united with their strength. If they are not afraid of me – and I will not give them a reason to be – then you have my word they will not be in any danger. Inform your mate, and have her tell the other two females._**

Naruto still wasn't sure about this – to be honest, he was dead set against it but he also knew that once Hinata made up her mind about something, she could be unreasonably stubborn. Plus, Kurama had given his word which was basically like a blood oath for humans.

He glanced skeptically at Hinata, who was staring guardedly back at him. "Sorry. Kurama and I were just having a heated discussion."

"I assumed as much when you mentioned his name," she said, quirking her lips. "Unlike you, I actually listen to what my spouse has to say."

"Low blow, Hime. Anyway, Kurama said that as long as the three of you aren't afraid of him – and he won't do anything that'll give you a reason to be – everything should be fine. But that doesn't mean I'm still not worried about this."

Even if he hadn't said it, Hinata could hear the concern in his voice. She appreciated how protective he was being, not only for her, but for the rest of her immediate family.

"I know you are, Naruto-kun. But I trust you." She stared into his eyes with unquestioned devotion. "I believe in you. And I know that Kurama would never do anything to hurt us."

The look she gave him melted away any objections he might have. He just needed to make sure the rest of what he planned went off without a hitch, since he was basically winging it because of what Nezumi said.

He took a deep, calming breath and smiled at her. "Okay, then. Let's get back in there and get this over with. Besides, I have a surprise for you at the end of all this, and I think you're going to like it."

Hinata glanced curiously at him, but didn't ask anything further. She opened the door to the meeting room and noticed that the 'discussion' hadn't diminished in the slightest – the subtle jabs and barbs were still flying between Nezumi and her father. Neji had regained some of the color in his face, but Tenten was still a bit pale and was holding her hands protectively over her belly.

"You are overstepping your bounds, Hiashi." Nezumi said crisply. "Your accusations are unfounded, and given the opportunity I would call for a vote to remove you from your position. However, I know that will be fruitless since we are honor bound to instate Neji as the next head of the clan. But even if that were not true, I only have half of the votes required so at best, it would be a stalemate."

Without giving Hiashi a chance to reply, Nezumi gave Naruto and Hinata a withering stare. "Glad you could rejoin us, Lord Hokage. Although I wonder what could have been so urgent that you decided to leave a meeting as important as this one to talk with your wife."

If she was trying to intimidate Naruto and Hinata, it didn't work in the slightest. And the fact that she referred to Hinata as 'his wife', and not by her name or as Lady Hokage was a pretty blatant insult. However, both of them apparently decided Nezumi wasn't worth their time or effort. Hinata made a beeline for where Hanabi was sitting, while Naruto moved to stand in the middle of the room.

"Hiashi. Once again, I apologize for breaking protocol but I have a few questions that need answering. Could you please point out to me the elders who are putting up the most resistance to abolishing the caged bird seal?"

Hiashi glanced over at Hinata who was now sitting between Hanabi and Tenten, whispering something in their ears. He turned back and saw Naruto staring expectantly at him, eager to hear his answer.

Actually, he seemed almost too eager. And Hinata had reached out to join hands with Hanabi and Tenten, their faces impassive.

_Naruto is up to something. Tenten, Hinata and Hanabi are bracing themselves for it. And there's no way I can stop it without giving anything away, or making it look like I'm involved._

Thank Kami Neji was taking over as head of the clan, because his nerves were just about shot. He grumbled silently and pointed out five people on the council, the last being Nezumi.

"Are these also the people who don't believe Neji should be the next leader of the Hyūga clan, and voted against Hinata being reinstated?"

He nodded. "They are the same group of people, yes."

Nezumi was through being ignored. "Not that it matters any, but what reason do you have for asking the identity of certain members of the council?"

"Me?" Naruto shrugged nonchalantly. "None. But I have a friend who's very interested in talking to the five of you."

"And who might this… _friend_ of yours be?"

_Here we go, Kurama. Try not to scar them for life._

**_I think you've known me long enough to realize that's a virtual certainty, Naruto. And they more than likely deserve it anyways._**

It started like a heartbeat. Slow. Steady. Gradual. Every pulse a slight increase in the power that was wrapped around Naruto like an invisible cloud. Any Hyūga that activated their Byakugan could have seen it easily, but since it was considered rude and insulting to do so in the council chambers without permission, all they could do was blindly watch and wait.

Tenten and Neji glanced apprehensively at each other. They recognized this chakra signature from the war, when they helped Naruto defeat Obito using nine Ōdama Rasengan. But even though that chakra was powerful, it was warm and soothing. This was different. It felt far more… _menacing._

The hairs on the back of their necks stood on end, as if the air was charged with static electricity. Pressure formed behind the eyes of every Hyūga, like they had overused their Byakugan. Everyone else merely suffered a nagging headache. The temperature of the room was both hot and cold. People were sweating and shivering at the same time.

The younger members of the council had no idea what was going on. To them, the blonde was merely putting on a display, showcasing why he was the Hokage of Konoha. However, those who were old enough to remember the attack on Konoha over twenty seven years ago recognized the power for what it was.

_Monster._

The whisker marks on his cheeks grew more pronounced. His fingernails became elongated and turned into claws. His hair appeared to have a wilder, more feral look about it. He closed his eyes… and suddenly, the invisible aura surrounding him turned into an angry, red chakra. It bubbled and seethed, like it was ready to boil over and erupt.

_MONSTER._

The chakra pressure in the room was close to stifling. The mind of every Hyūga council member screamed at them to run, to get away from here as fast as possible, but their bodies were rooted to the spot in fear from the incredible power Naruto was emitting.

When he opened his eyes, they were no longer blue. They were as red as the chakra surrounding his body, and his pupils were now vertical slits. He grinned venomously, showing a deadly set of fangs that seemed perfect for ripping someone's throat out.

**"HUMANS."**

The weight behind that single, spoken word made every heart seize for a brief moment. An image formed in the air behind the Hokage… Red fur shimmering in a haze of power. Serrated teeth, each at least eight feet tall. And a pair of glowing, yellow eyes that looked down on humanity as if they were nothing more than scurrying ants that could be crushed at any time, for any reason ranging from annoyance to amusement.

_They were the eyes of an alpha predator… an ancient being of immense size… the Kyūbi no Yōko… and there was nothing that escaped their notice._

The council stared in horror as a single tail formed behind him. He took an almost casual step and the floor underneath his foot fractured, traveling outward in a spiderweb pattern. Several Hyūga stared dumbfounded at the sight, since the floor was three feet of solid concrete and he was breaking it as easily as swatting a fly.

Another tail formed with each successive step he took. And another. And another. As he walked down the line of councilmembers, his tails lazily reached out and almost caressed their faces – never actually touching them, but coming close enough so that they could feel the heat being given off by his demon chakra. Even so, there were spots on some of the fairer skinned people that turned red, like they just suffered a pinpoint case of sunburn.

By the time he reached the head of the table, six tails were visible and every Hyūga was frozen in fear, terrified to move even an inch, lest the Kyūbi turn their full attention towards them. Visions of their lives ending as their still beating hearts were pulled from their chests and munched on like an afternoon snack between gigantic razor sharp teeth flashed before their eyes.

Nezumi however, somehow managed to maintain her rationality – as well as her sense of arrogance. Inwardly, she was scared… maybe not as much as the rest of the council, but there was no way she'd allow anyone to see her even the slightest bit weak and vulnerable.

"So, the demon of Konoha decides to show himself. To what do we owe the honor of this visit?"

**"Save your false pleasantries." Kurama growled. "I may not have your eyes, but identifying when someone is lying to me is child's play."**

Nezumi snorted. "Very well, then. I was under the assumption that our Hokage had you confined, and was in control of both you and your power. Tell me, just when did all that change?"

**"You are the one who is mistaken, human. While your Hokage is now able to control my power, he does not now, nor has he _ever_ controlled me." The walls echoed with his sinister laughter. "However, I will admit that our points of view… intersect from time to time."**

"And that means what?"

**"What bothers him, bothers me. What is important to him, is important to me. And what is precious to him, is also precious to me." Kurama turned and pointed a finger at Hiashi, then swept it across everyone on the other side of room. "These humans are under _my_ protection. And unlike the one sitting at the head of the room, I will not banter about with insinuations or accusations."**

One of the council members finally worked up enough courage to make a break for the exit. Just before she reached the door one of Kurama's tails lashed out and embedded itself in the wall, dislodging several chunks of concrete and blocking her escape.

**"I don't believe I've given you permission to leave just yet."**

She trembled violently as she stared at him in horror. A second later her eyes rolled up in her head and she passed out.

_I warned you not to push things too far, Kurama._

**_And I'm having fun, Naruto. Try not to ruin it by restating the obvious._**

**He leaned down and stared balefully at Nezumi. "If any of those humans perish… and I suspect the circumstances are through questionable means… I will hold you, along with the other four humans that have been identified as the ones responsible."**

**"A lack of evidence will not forestall me. Whether you are to blame or not will be irrelevant. I will do things to you that even that human Orochimaru would consider unreasonably cruel and vicious. And I will make sure that afterwards, no one – not even the best trackers in the elemental nations – will find what's left of you." Kurama leaked out some killing intent. Sweat began to pour down the foreheads of several of the council members.**

**"Do all of you understand?"** he asked, glancing sidelong at everyone sitting at the table.

They all nodded their heads vigorously – except for Nezumi, who merely frowned. Any help she might have had killing Neji and making it look like an accident just went up in flames. She didn't care, though – it just meant now she'd have to do it all by herself.

Kurama saw this and lost interest in threatening her. He could do far more, certainly – but it would affect everyone else in the room… and the compound… and probably a good portion of Konoha as well. Besides, with what Naruto had planned, she wasn't going to be a problem very much longer.

He turned on his heel and moved to stand in front of Hiashi, making sure the floor didn't shatter this time when he took each step. There was no further need for displays of power since he'd gotten his point across.

The current clan head paled as he stared at the image in front of him; six tails swaying lazily behind the man wrapped in red chakra. Visions of what happened on the night of Naruto and Hinata's wedding flashed through his mind.

**"You have just been given a valuable gift, human. You are now counted among those your Hokage considers precious to him." Kurama fixed him with a piercing stare. "Do not make him come to regret his decision."**

Hiashi sweatdropped at the implied threat and bowed his head. "You have my word that I will not. Thank you, Kyūbi-sama."

**"I am not the one you should be thanking."** He continued on, his gaze lingering over Neji and Tenten before settling on Hinata. He found it interesting that even though he could sense some level of fear coming off of everyone else in the room, she wasn't afraid of him in the least. She sat straight and tall, unflinching as he seemed to scrutinize her.

Kurama smiled, but this one seemed less predatory and more… appreciative. He slowly reached out a clawed hand toward her face, and as he got closer the chakra surrounding his hand changed from red to golden.

**"For what you have done – what you have both given and sacrificed for him – you have my respect and gratitude." He traced the claw along the line of her jawbone, almost purring as he did so. "Do not give up on him. It may not seem like it at times, but you have made a positive impact on his life. He needs you more than you know."**

"You don't have to thank me, Kyūbi-sama," she said warmly, bowing her head slightly. "I love him. And I need him as much as he needs me."

Kurama was caught off guard - not only by the sheer, simple honesty of that statement, but also by how **_pure_** it was. She wasn't merely answering a question, she believed it with every bit of her heart and soul. In all the time he'd existed, it was something he'd rarely seen and experienced and to this day, it still baffled him.

He nodded in acknowledgement, accepting the truth of her words at face value. The tails swaying around him disappeared, his whisker marks and claws receded and his eyes reverted back to their natural sapphire blue. One final blink and everyone could tell that Naruto was once again in control of his body.

He took a deep breath and shook his arms, like he was trying to restore the circulation in them. "Well, that was fun." He chuckled wryly. "I think now we all know where we stand… right, Nezumi?"

It was another blatant jab at her authority. The Hokage, by way of the demon sealed inside of him had regained the advantage – and at the moment, she only had one card left to play. But it would give her more time to stack the deck in her favor against those who stood in her way… and threatened her life.

"It doesn't matter what you, or that… **_thing_** you hold inside of you says. We are honor bound to appoint Neji as the next head of the Hyūga clan, but that is where our obligation stops. Even with Hiashi casting his vote, the council is split evenly down the middle on the issue of abolishing the caged bird seal. I also imagine that a vote on reinstating Hiashi's daughter will end the same." Nezumi sneered at everyone on the other side of the room, thrilled at her slight victory. "When Neji takes over, nothing will change and the clan will remain the same. I will personally see to that."

Naruto saw the crushing disappointment in the eyes of Neji, Tenten, Hinata and Hanabi and decided to play his own trump card.

"You know…" he said, sighing heavily, "I was planning on doing this in private once Neji officially took over as head of the clan, because of how sensitive and personal it was, but I think it's best if I do it now."

He reached into his jacket and pulled out a storage scroll, unrolling it on the table. He placed his hand in the center and two very thick files appeared. He handed one to Hiashi and one to Neji.

"What's this?" Neji asked.

**_***Flashback***_**

Naruto held up the Shōgi piece for Shikamaru to see. "What can you tell me about this one in particular?"

Shikamaru squinted at the name on the piece. "Nezumi Hyūga? She's the head elder of the Hyūga clan. Old, haughty… basically believes the Hyūga – more specifically, the main family – are the preeminent clan in Konoha and everyone else is beneath their notice."

"Sorry – maybe I should have been more specific." Naruto confessed. "I've already read several reports about her, which pretty much confirmed what you just said. What I want to know is what she did to earn a place on your board."

"Oh. Well, there's a long list of things we suspect she has her hands in – like that weapons shipment we confiscated during your first couple of weeks as Hokage."

"That was her?"

Shikamaru rubbed his temples in frustration. "Yes and no. There was never any evidence pointing specifically to her, but the warehouse it was headed for is owned by the Hyūga clan. Most of the day to day business transactions run through her, so there's no way she didn't know what was going on." He walked over and picked up the intelligence report sitting on his desk. "You know, it's ironic that you're bringing this up, since I just received another report late last night that confidential information on Konoha is being sold to someone based near Kusagakure."

"_Another_ report?" Naruto's features instantly hardened. "How many does this make? And what kind of information?"

"This is the third, but it's the most troubling of the bunch." He handed over the report. "ANBU patrol movements, security protocols… the only thing missing was a list of everyone in our spy network. There was one interesting item on page three, though..."

Naruto flipped to the item in question and raised his eyebrows. "Instructions on how to activate the caged bird seal? I thought only someone with the Byakugan could do that."

"Apparently, someone either figured it out or found something that showed them how to do it. That points to the Hyūga council of elders, since there's no one else who'd have access to that kind of information – otherwise, Hinata and Hanabi would have known about it. And with the amount of power and control Nezumi wields as the head elder, there's no way something as big as this would leak without her stamp of approval."

Naruto flipped through a few more pages before snapping the file shut and handing it back to Shikamaru. "And you're sure you can't pin any of this on her?"

"Not at the moment. Like I said before, I know she's the one pulling the strings but we've never had any direct evidence implicating her. Every time we get a lead, we follow it up the chain of command but when we get close to any of the major players, they wind up dead or missing before we have a chance to arrest or interrogate them." Shikamaru shook his head. "The woman is troublesome in every sense of the word."

The room was silent as Naruto tapped his chin thoughtfully. "What if I increased the amount of resources you have available? Think you could get what you need?"

"What do you mean?"

"Look, I'll be honest with you Shikamaru – when I get back from Kiri, I'm having Hiashi call a meeting of the Hyūga council. You probably know by now that Hikaru removed the caged bird seal from Neji's forehead – and I know you heard about the agreement Hiashi and I drew up naming Neji as the next clan head if that happened."

"It wasn't like it was that hard to figure out, Naruto." Shikamaru deadpanned.

Naruto shrugged. "Maybe not for you, but…" He silently thanked Kami that Shikamaru was smart – and the Hyūga council wasn't. "So the whole thing is to put Neji in charge of the clan. But I've also got a hidden agenda, which is getting rid of the caged bird seal. Now, Hiashi told me that the votes on that little item are split right down the middle at the moment but if I can get rid of her, it'll tip the scales in our favor. Plus, there's the added bonus of sending her to jail."

"But as much as I want to, I can't arrest her without evidence." His eyes twinkled mischievously. "So if I doubled, or even tripled the amount of resources you had available – gave you unlimited access to Ino, Inoichi, Ibiki and any extra ANBU Sasuke can lay his hands on to concentrate on this case and get the information you need – can you have it ready for me by the time I get back from Kiri?"

"That's a tall order, Naruto." Shikamaru eyed his friend dubiously. "You're asking me to cram a month or two worth of work into a week and a half. _Maybe_ I could, but I'd basically have to hole up in my office until you get back. Temari would probably kill me if I did that…"

"Then how about this? If you can pull this off, I'll send you and Temari on an all-expenses paid vacation to the Land of Snow for two weeks. I'll have Koyuki put you up in her castle and you'll be pampered like royalty the entire time you're there. How's that for motivation?"

Shikamaru normally wasn't one for bribery. And he certainly wasn't eager for the extra workload Naruto was suggesting but in this case, the reward was well worth the effort. He closed his eyes and placed his hands in front of him in the very familiar contemplative pattern he used when analyzing a situation.

"If my calculations are correct, the time between an initial mission plan and when she eliminates what she terms as 'loose ends' is three days at best. However, I believe if we use a large enough feint to distract both Nezumi and her spies, we can covertly go after a second point of attack before she has a chance to react. The timing would have to be perfect…"

He opened his eyes and stared hungrily back at Naruto. "…but for once, I'm looking forward to a challenge that isn't… troublesome."

**_***End Flashback***_**

"You've been selling information on Konoha to other villages?" Hiashi asked incredulously, "And the key to activating the caged bird seal on the branch members? WHY?"

Nezumi ground her teeth as she eyed the files Hiashi and Neji had in front of them. She was caught red handed. The Hokage had obviously gotten to one of her subordinates but as far as she was concerned, she was untouchable – and she was going to make a point of proving that.

"They are a stain on the Hyūga name. It's been happening for years, eating away at our clan from the inside out, like a disease… creating inferior users of our prized Byakugan. I gave the key to others so they could eradicate this scourge, making our clan pure once again." She hawked and spit at Tenten. "Marrying outside the clan… tainting our bloodline and creating another half-breed, and for what? Love?" She sneered contemptuously at Neji. "An act such as that is the ultimate form of betrayal. Being a Hyūga means you place the needs of the clan above your own. Opportunities to increase our power, influence and wealth should come before petty emotions like that."

Nezumi pointed at Naruto. "But what can we expect when that… that **_thing_** is in charge of Konoha? Kakashi should never have allowed him to become Hokage, let alone return to the village in the first place. There were much better candidates – ones that were more easily pliable, and could have helped bring our clan to untold heights of greatness, but they were ignored in favor of that demon container." She pounded her fist on the table repeatedly, trying to emphasize her point. "Do none of you remember when it attacked Konoha all those years ago, killing hundreds of our villagers and shinobi? He is biding his time, waiting for the perfect opportunity to escape and repeat that incident, like a powder keg waiting to explode. Even worse, he is here tonight dictating policy to us, corrupting our superior purity and I will **not** sit idly by and wait for either one to happen."

A stunned silence hung over the room as Nezumi's words lingered in the air. Someone could have stopped her, saving her from embarrassing and shaming herself but they let her speak unrestricted, and at the end of it all she'd isolated herself. Not even her most staunch supporters would support or defend her at this point.

Hiashi was shocked and disappointed. Neji and Konohamaru were furious. Hanabi and Hinata were outraged. Tenten was on the verge of tears, placing her hands protectively over her belly. And everyone on the Hyūga council was stunned and sickened at what she just admitted to.

A look passed between Neji and Hiashi before the clan head nodded – basically giving Neji permission to handle this situation however he deemed fit. And it would be his first as clan leader.

"Naruto." Neji purposely broke protocol and called him by his name, letting everyone know he was more than just the Hokage, he was his friend – and that this request was just as much personal as it was professional. "For attempted genocide of the Hyūga along with a litany of crimes against Konoha, including but not limited to treason, I would ask that you place Nezumi Hyūga under arrest. You may detain her in whatever manner you see fit."

"Sure, Neji. I'd be happy to." Naruto erupted in golden flames. "Would you like her dead or alive?" he asked almost casually, like he was talking about the weather.

The smug look disappeared and Nezumi's face dropped. It had to be a bluff. The Kyūbi she could understand, but there was no way the Hokage would be so blatantly obvious about killing her. Was the demon still partially in control?

"Alive, thank you. But preferably unconscious. You can give her to Ibiki Morino afterwards."

"You got it. Consider it a present to congratulate you on your new job."

Faster than anyone could react, a claw of golden chakra lashed out and grabbed Nezumi. Naruto stared into her eyes and saw her defiance melt away, and for the first time since the meeting began he saw a trace of fear on her face. He grinned almost eagerly before swinging her around and smashing her into the nearest wall. When he let go she crumpled unconscious to the ground.

Pleased with the result, Neji turned back to Hiashi. "Uncle. Please send someone to get the caged bird seal brand from your office. I want Nezumi to have it before the ANBU arrive and take her to Ibiki for interrogation." He glared darkly at the woman sprawled out on the floor. "As much as despise the brand I lived with for most of my life and what it represents, I also know that Nezumi has no concept of what it means to carry a weight such as that."

He reached over and placed his hand comfortingly over Tenten's. "I think letting her experience that – having it stare back at her, day after day as she looks in the mirror, confined to her windowless cell for the rest of her life will be the best way to constantly remind her of her betrayal. Also, I'll be the first to admit that Ibiki Morino has far more skill inflicting pain and suffering than any Hyūga. I believe he will do a far better job than we ever could."

Hiashi nodded, agreeing that Ibiki would come up with a fitting punishment for the traitorous woman. He motioned towards one of the servants at the side of the room to retrieve the brand.

Still grinning and cloaked in golden chakra, Naruto rubbed his hands together. "Well, now that the drama is over – and once we wake up that person Kurama scared so bad she passed out – how about we call for a couple of votes?"

* * *

Walking the calm streets of Konoha was exactly what Naruto needed after a very long, tiring and yet satisfying day.

After Neji was officially instated as clan head, he called for a procedural vote to remove Nezumi as an elder, and banish her from the clan for the rest of her life – which probably wouldn't be that long anyway.

Not surprisingly, the vote was unanimous. Whether it was ethics that drove the council, or the fear of being labeled as one of Nezumi's sympathizers that influenced their vote… either way, it didn't matter.

Then Neji called for a vote on banishing use of the caged bird seal, making sure to point out that a way for someone without the Byakugan to activate it was probably spreading throughout the elemental nations. Continuing to allow its use would make them no better than Nezumi, since they'd be potentially sentencing anyone branded with the seal to death when they left the village for missions.

Naruto piped in at this point, adding that the person who removed the seal from Neji was still searching for a better way to protect the Byakugan, as well as coming up with a safer, more effective way to remove the caged bird seal so that the branch members didn't have to fear for their lives.

That vote was unanimous as well.

Finally, Naruto called for one last vote – asking that Hinata be reinstated as a member of the clan. What she had been disowned for in the first place was never actually true, and she acted with a tremendous amount of honor and self-sacrifice in taking care of Hikaru, rather than let him be given to an orphanage somewhere outside Konoha.

And once again, the vote was unanimous – although two of the council members did so reluctantly.

After the meeting broke up, everyone gathered in Neji's new office to celebrate. Hinata and Hanabi were overjoyed at the way things turned out. Konohamaru slapped Naruto on the back and told him 'good job, boss'. Tenten hugged him and thanked him. Neji and Hiashi said they owed him a great debt but he brushed that aside, saying it wasn't a big deal because that's what _family_ does for each other.

After that, he'd planned on going home but Neji and Hiashi asked him to stay behind. There was paperwork that needed to be finalized by the Hokage regarding Neji becoming clan head and Nezumi being arrested, and well… he **_is_** the Hokage after all.

Hinata told him she'd head home first, saying she was a bit tired and needed to lie down for a bit because the twins had been unusually active during the meeting. Naruto offered to bring her there using the Hiraishin but Hinata begged off, saying that she'd be just fine walking home since Hanabi and Konohamaru would be with her.

But she promised to be awake when he got there. Oddly enough, she was rather specific about telling him that.

_All's quiet. Everyone must be asleep, he thought as he walked through the front door of his house. Hinata must be lying down in the bedroom since I can see a light coming from underneath the door._

He hung up his coat and walked into the bedroom, closing the door behind him. The lights were dimmed, and the room seemed empty but then he noticed the door to the master bath was closed. He heard the sink running and Hinata was humming to herself.

"Hinata?" he called out.

"Naruto-kun? Is that you?"

"Yeah, it's me. I'm home."

"I'll be right out. Just make yourself comfortable."

_Make myself comfortable? For what? He sat down on the bed and began to take his shoes off. And why wouldn't I make myself comfortable in my own bedroom? Especially at this time of night?_

The dim light of the room was frustrating him, so he reached over to turn on the lamp and noticed a book resting on her nightstand. Curiosity got the better of him, so he stopped what he was doing and picked it up…

"Hinata?"

"Yes, Naruto-kun?"

"There's an Icha Icha novel on your nightstand. Where'd it come from?"

"Oh, that? I got it from your office that day when we went to lunch. I didn't want to leave it out in the open – I thought someone might get the wrong idea if they saw your book lying around like that."

"My book?" he asked, dumbfounded. "Hinata, this belongs to Kakashi-sensei. Hanari dragged him out of my office that day and he left it behind by accident. He's been looking everywhere for it because it's his favorite one in the series."

The water shut off and there was a long pause. "Oh. Well, I'll make sure to apologize… as well as thank him when I bring it back tomorrow."

_Thank him?_ He flipped the book over. _Has she been reading this thing?_ It was open to page 147…

"But tonight, Naruto-kun," she said sensuously as the door to the bathroom slid open, "you're all mine."

The color drained from Naruto's face as he looked up to see Hinata emerge from the shadows of the doorway. She was wearing a one-piece lavender and black corset with a slight twist – the midriff area was completely bare, accentuating her very noticeable baby bump.

The look she gave him was absolutely smoldering. And he vaguely remembered the contents of that page the Icha Icha novel was open to… something about chocolate sauce and red licorice…

Naruto sweatdropped.

Hinata was going to have pregnant sex with him.

And there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it.

* * *

_(All thanks to author _**_Petran,_**_ who wrote this entire section. He sent me the first few sentences on a whim, and I liked it so much that I promised him if he finished it, I'd post it at the end of my chapter. I think he did a fantastic job and I am nothing if not a man of my word.)_

* * *

**OMAKE:** Let's make a movie!

* * *

Naruto let out a deep breath as he leaned back in his desk chair. He took one more glance at the document lying in front of him on top of his desk, and then looked at the man standing in front of him.

He was definitely strange – something was off about him. He was in his early twenties, and yet his hair looked like it was painted grey. His smile was undoubtedly fake – like those Sai used to use – and he was wearing a very expensive suit. He apparently thought this getup and suave behavior exuded an air of maturity and charm, giving him an edge during business meetings of this type…

…Too bad it didn't work on Naruto. All he could think about was punching him in the face.

"So, let me get this straight, Mister… umm…"

"Maruo, sir." The man said with a flourishing bow. "Kyozuka Maruo at your service!"

His voice reminded Naruto of fingernails across a chalkboard. His words mirrored his appearance – more annoying than sincere. Even the way he pronounced everything seemed distinctively fake.

"You want to make a movie about how me and Hinata fell in love?"

"Yes sir! I believe your story is one that needs to be told. It would be an inspiration to many."

"But… why us?"

The man perked up and became much more animated as he spoke about his project. "Because it has it all! Drama! Action! Romance! Everything you need to bring people into the theaters and raise their spirits!"

The current Hokage lazily rubbed his temples. He was beginning to lose his patience.

"Look, Mister Maruo – I read your script very carefully…"

"Excellent! What did you think of it?"

Naruto leaked a small amount of killing intent into the room but for some reason, it didn't seem to affect the guy.

"Look, I understand that some 'artistic license' has to be taken in order to make a 'based on a true story' movie enjoyable, but…"

"But?"

"Where did you guys come up with something as farfetched as the moon crashing into the earth? And then there's this final battle scene on the surface with this guy named Toneri? How's that even possible when there isn't any air to breathe?"

The smile on Maruo's face faded a bit as he started fidgeting nervously with his fingers. "We, uh… sort of had a few spare sets left over from our latest Princess Gale movie. We thought we could use them to save us time and money. And we can always come up with something to explain the problem with the air."

Naruto frowned. "Okay, but that doesn't excuse the rest of the story."

Maruo raised his eyebrows in surprise. "You don't like it?"

As their eyes met, Maruo could clearly see the anger and disgust inside the Hokage's eyes.

"Let me level with you – it's crap! Not to mention overly cheesy, nonsensical and idiotic. I don't know whose story you're trying to tell here, but it sure as hell isn't ours."

As his anger started to rise, so did the tone of his voice. "I mean, Hinata just spends most of the movie trying to make me a scarf? I only realize her feelings for me because of a five minute long genjutsu scene? My feelings for Sakura were because of my rivalry with Sasuke? Hinata becomes a damsel in distress? What sort of bullshit is this?"

"But… we had a story consultant who is close to you, and…"

Naruto threw the script back at Maruo. "Screw your story consultant! I don't know what he or she told you, but this isn't anywhere close to what happened, and it's an insult to my wife! I don't know what sort of sick, twisted and warped reality you live in that would allow you to turn this into a movie, but it definitely won't be mine."

"Sir, I beg you reconsider. Our studio is willing to make you a very generous offer."

A check suddenly appeared in Maruo's hand. Naruto took a close look at the number…

…_that was a lot of money.  
_ Any lesser man would be tempted, but Naruto didn't even consider taking it. The love Hinata and Hikaru gave him was more valuable than anything, and he knew what effect this sort of movie would have on his family and his love life. His son would be ridiculed for years to come, and he'd spend the rest of his married days in the doghouse. Maybe even sleeping in one. Still, he had to ask...

"Why are you willing to pay this much to make a movie about me and Hinata?"

"It's no secret that you're well known throughout the elemental nations, which makes your face very marketable, and…"

Naruto latched onto the word _'marketable'_. "You intend on making this a franchise, don't you?"

"Well, umm…"

"And knowing the industry you work in, I'm guessing you already have the next movie planned, right?"

"Er…"

His eyes zeroed in on Maruo's inner pocket. Having attended a few meetings with Koyuki while he was her bodyguard all those years ago, he immediately recognized the slight bulge in his suit. It was paper containing the outline and ideas for the next movie – if he agreed to the first one, of course. He grabbed it before Maruo could react. A vein in his forehead bulged as he read it.

"The next movie is about the adventures of my son who I named… Burrito?"

"Actually, it's BO-"

*:*:*:*

The studio chairman and president were standing at the foot of the hospital bed, staring at the heavily bandaged body of their executive producer Maruo, who was currently in a semi-conscious state. Whatever the Hokage did to him, it wasn't pretty.

"You know, maybe we shouldn't have asked that Sakura woman to be our story consultant."

"Yeah, we should've known something was up when she insisted that her character have more fight scenes than the main heroine."

* * *

A/N: And that's a wrap!

Okay, let it be known that I actually liked **Naruto: The Last Movie** but even my imagination was stretched to the limits while watching that thing. But it was all worth it to have NaruHina at the end. Yay!

Arekusu is the OC of shock777 from DeviantArt. If you get the chance get on over there and check out some of her artwork. She's definitely got talent.

Once again, I'd like to thank my readers for the ideas used in not only this chapter, but in the entire story. So much came from your input and I can't thank you enough. If you have any more, don't be afraid to let me know!

Also, fair warning that I have beta projects to complete for **gigiree123, OGAFazer89AC** and **weirdismyname** so I'm not going to start work on the next chapter for a couple of weeks. But I'm going to try my best to keep the time shorter than this last one.

**_To that end, I'm going to pose a question to all of you… would you like to see the pregnant lemon scene between Naruto and Hinata in the next chapter, or just skip over that and get right to the next piece of the plot?_**

How will you let me know, you may ask? There's no poll up on your profile page, you say? Well, you can tell me in… **_YOUR REVIEWS!_**

(See what I did there?)

Anyway, regardless of which way the votes come out I will say that the majority, if not the entire next chapter will deal with Sakura. You can fill in the blanks yourselves on what happens because I'm not spoiling it for you. _'Nuff said._

**_Recommendation time!_** Well, I was going to recommend a story entitled _I'm Not Going Through Puberty Again!_ but that's a rather popular one right now… lots of followers, favorites and reviews. And everyone here knows I like to give a shout out to stories that are really, really good but just haven't gotten a lot of traction.

So here's a little story I've been enjoying very much so far. I think there's only a few more chapters to go, but I'm hoping the author will keep writing past that because it's just soooo good. The name of the story is **Consolation Prize: Through Her Distorted Mirror** by **mysterious intentions.** It's all about how Naruto finally comes to the realization about what Hinata means to him, and how important she is to his life. It really amps up how dumb Naruto can be, but I kind of like that. It shows that sometimes people need to be a lot more blunt regarding love and life.

It's cute, it's funny, it's heartfelt and the writing is really good. So get on over and read it! And leave a review when you do – I'm sure the author would appreciate it!

Here's the link, as usual remove the spaces and you know what to replace the stars with:

www . fanfiction . *** / s / 11012129

**REVIEWS!** I really don't know what to say. I mean, honestly – everyone who reads this story is the absolute best. I pulled another one hundred and twenty six reviews for chapter 30. Overall, that's almost four hundred reviews for the last three chapters so thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I would also like to give a shout out to **PotassiumNitrate**, **uzumakicho** and (snicker) **buttcabbage** for the ton of reviews they left. That number is so high because of you and I'm very grateful!

Let's keep that up! Like I just said, I'm looking for reviews AND an answer to my question regarding the lemon scene. And as I always tell you, the reviews help keep me moving, even when I hit the brick wall known as writer's block. So even if you don't want to weigh in with your opinion on my question, help keep my creative juices flowing and leave me one. Even if it's just something as simple as 'I loved it', words hold a lot of power when it comes to motivation.

That's all for now. Take care and stay safe.

.

Serious Sam


	33. Ch 32: Sacrifices Must Be Made

32\. Sacrifices Must Be Made

**_Debbie does Dallas. Debbie does De Moines. Debbie does Dusseldorf. Busy girl, that Debbie._**

Hello, my faithful readers. It's been far too long since my last update and I could give you the usual excuses…life, work, etc. But the truth is that the delay in getting this chapter out came down to three things – beta work for other stories, collaborating on a new story AND the opening scene for this story.

As I always do, I'd like to thank **Titokhan** and my anonymous beta for their help and support. Thanks for sticking with me for over two years, guys. And a special thank you to **Fate-117** who asked to look over this chapter and found several errors all of us missed.

For those of you who asked for a pregnant sex scene at the beginning of the chapter, I want to apologize. I tried, I really did… and I rewrote the thing probably six times trying to get it right but in the end, it just didn't seem to fit. So instead, I went with a funny, awkward scene instead. I hope it makes up for the lack of a lemon, and actually I'm quite proud of how it turned out in the end.

I did beta work on the following stories – and if you get a chance head on over, check them out and leave a review. The writers would really appreciate it:

**For The Love of the Hokage – Hendrixson**

**Naruto: Path to the Future – OGAFazer89AC**

**Rise of Ryujin – Arcana37210**

**An Uzumaki Scorned – SilentSambo88**

**A Reluctant Return – gigiree123**

**Sanctuary of the Wounded – weirdismyname**

I would like to point out that none of that is a misprint. I did beta work for all of those and yes, I can't believe it either. I must be insane.

_And now, to the last piece – the new story collaboration._

**MattWilson83**, creator of **NaruHina Chronicles** (among other totally awesome things) on **DeviantArt** received a request from one of his readers, asking for some scenes of Tsunade and Mei Terumi with Naruto, and he wanted some accompanying words to go with the pictures.

He asked if I'd like to _collaborate_ on the story with him and considering the fact that he always helps me at the drop of a hat, I was grateful to help, as well as a little bit flattered. Originally, it was only supposed to be two chapters but it's gotten so much reader interest we've decided to keep it going. And Matt will be doing a drawing for every chapter. Giggity.

Be warned: there will be lemons in almost every chapter. And not just your average slightly smutty lemons – the descriptions will get quite graphic in several areas. **_So if that's not your thing, or you get offended by anything over a romantic level of lovemaking, don't even bother looking!_**

Also, fair warning – even though I'm a big _NaruHina_ fan, the story is about Naruto primarily. There are no pairings in the traditional sense and Naruto will be sleeping with LOTS of different women. Chapter one is with Tsunade. Chapter two is with Mei Terumi. _And chapter 3 is right around the corner…_

If you want to see the accompanying artwork for it, just google **"MattWilson83 Blogspot"** and then click on "One Shot". If you're a _Jiraiya Super Pervert_, you'll love it.

_And now on to credit where credit is due:_

**NarutoFanGirl45:** You gave me the idea for the Naruto/Hinata sex scene. Thanks!

**Guedesbrawl:** The shadow clone idea in sex scene was yours. Good one!

**DevilHeart435:** You had several ideas for Sakura that I integrated into the scenes. More are coming next chapter. Thanks!

And of course, the usual heartfelt thanks to **MattWilson83** who took time to help me with ideas, flow, additions and subtractions to the chapter. Your input is always appreciated, dude.

Now, on to the disclaimer. This one is rather obscure, and I doubt anyone will get it so I'll give you a hint. It was a TV sitcom that aired for 2 years (the second year sucked, though) from 1996-1997. And yeah, I know I'm dating myself by saying that.

**_Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto. And I was hoping to take you out to dinner tonight._**

**_Sarah – Out where?_**

**_Disclaimer – That new French restaurant in town._**

**_Sarah – Really? Which one?_**

**_Disclamer – Umm… Le House._**

**_Sarah – That's a Waffle House. The "Waff" part of the sign rusted and fell off. (+10 if you get the reference this time!)_**

* * *

Chapter 32 – Sacrifices Must Be Made

_Naruto sweatdropped._

Hinata wanted to have pregnant sex with him. And if he used what happened earlier tonight at the Hyūga compound as a guide, he had very little chance of winning any argument against it.

But that didn't mean he wasn't going to try.

"Uh, Hinata?" he asked, eyeing her warily. "What gives?"

The fire in her eyes would have melted steel. "Aren't I being obvious enough, Naruto-kun?"

"Well, umm… yeah, kinda. It looks like you're expecting us to have sex tonight." His eyes never leaving his wife, he attempted to crawl away from her, backwards across the bed, but Hinata noticed this and pounced on him, using her baby weight to keep him constrained.

Maybe she'd gotten a few tips from Choji, or one of the other Akimichi on how to use that extra weight effectively. Not that he'd ever dare ask them that.

"Then I think I've done a good job, because that's exactly what's going to happen." She pressed him onto the bed and straddled his hips. "And don't even think about using the Hiraishin to get away from me, Naruto-kun. Because if you do, I promise that the last few weeks you slept on the couch will seem like a five-star vacation by comparison."

_Son of a bitch. He hadn't even thought of doing that, and now Hinata had closed that particular loophole. Still…_

"Hinata, be reasonable. We can't do this."

She frowned at his refusal to cooperate. "What's the matter?" she asked, idly caressing his chest with her finger, "Don't you find me attractive at all?"

"Well, sure I do!" he exclaimed, reaching around and squeezing her ass for good measure. He loved flattering his wife. "You're the sexiest woman in the whole world!"

She smiled appreciatively. "Then are you feeling ill? Did Kurama's appearance earlier cause an unexpected problem?"

He shook his head. "Er, no… stuff like that only happened when I was younger. Now that Kurama and I are on good terms, his chakra doesn't really hurt me anymore."

"Then I'd say you're officially out of excuses." Her smoldering look returned full force. "I have quite a bit of pent-up sexual tension to get rid of…" She leaned in, pressing her breasts lightly against his chest, "…and I plan on keeping you busy for several hours tonight."

Naruto's face flushed. Fuck! This was like when she was trying to get pregnant all over again! Normally he would have noticed the signs immediately, but right from the start she was pretty damn distracting in that sexy lingerie, and what's worse is that she knew it. And if that wasn't bad enough, now her tits were hovering only inches from his face and it was… magnifying the issue. Those perky, supple, luscious mounds…

Hinata followed his gaze and smiled happily, knowing her distraction was working. Even if he wasn't staring at her breasts, the growing pressure on the inside of her thighs gave him away. With a sudden movement she bent down and kissed him, shoving her tongue aggressively into his mouth. Their kisses over the past several months had been loving, but nothing that lingered like this one and the rock-hard erection she was rubbing against only proved her point.

Naruto strained against the sensations running through his body. It took every ounce of effort he could muster from acting on his desires.

Of course, Hinata noticed his lack of… participation. Her lips still pressed against his, her eyes snapped open and saw that Naruto was staring at her apprehensively, which concerned her a great deal. She figured he'd have ripped her lingerie to shreds and attacked her full force by now.

"Naruto-kun, what's wrong?"

He tried to ignore the fact that his resistance was slowly slipping away. "Like I said Hinata, we can't do this."

"I believe other parts of your body would disagree," she simpered, grinding her hips against him. Naruto groaned in pleasure as he felt her wetness soak through his pants while she did it. "Give me one good reason why we can't have sex."

"Because! What if… you know…" He fidgeted nervously, looking away in embarrassment, "…I accidentally hurt the babies?"

"Excuse me?" she asked, her voice going up an octave or two.

"Well, think about it, Hinata… you're carrying twins, right? I figure every square inch of space in there is taken up and that means they're like, right next to the opening. Plus, they're really fragile right now so if I stuck myself up in there, they might get hurt."

She sat back and frowned, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "That may be the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard in my life, Naruto-kun. You're above average, but not THAT big. The babies will be fine."

"How can you be so sure?" he asked worriedly.

"Because they teach things like this in the prenatal classes I've been taking," she admonished him, "and it's also in the baby book you borrowed from Sasuke. Didn't you read it?"

"I skipped over that chapter. Purposely." He propped himself up on his elbows and leaned close to her ear. "Besides… what if they saw it?" he whispered.

Hinata eyed him skeptically. "Why are you whispering? Saw what?"

"Naruto Jr.!" he exclaimed, his voice rising several decibel levels. "I don't want that being the first image our children see! It's creepy and wrong! And it'll probably look like a five foot tall monster because they're so small!"

Hinata groaned. "Thank you for ruining that for me. I was planning on naming one of our children after you if it was a boy, but now I can't because of what you just said. When did you decide to name it?"

"Sorry about that, Hinata. It's always had a name – you just never asked what it was and I never told you. And all men name their private parts. It's a guy thing. But the point is still valid – no pun intended."

Hinata was sure that if she activated her Byakugan, she could actually see the intelligence leaking out of her husband's ears. This argument was getting more and more ridiculous by the second. "Naruto-kun, I'm only in my second trimester. The babies can't even open their eyes yet. How could they possibly see your penis?"

Naruto attempted to defend his line of reasoning – even though his position was becoming increasingly unstable beneath his wife's withering gaze. "Well, c'mon Hinata. These are OUR kids we're talking about, which means they're bound to be far more advanced than anyone else. You're talking Uzumaki, Namikaze and Hyūga all wrapped up in one package. That's a recipe for awesomeness right there! Which means even if they can't see it, they could still sense it. And that's not a risk I'm willing to take."

Hinata's eyes went wide as the realization suddenly hit her. "Is… Is that the reason why we haven't had sex in months? Because you're afraid you might hurt the babies or give them nightmares about your… genitalia?"

He blinked a few times in obviousness. "Well, yeah. What else would it be?"

"_What else?_ I thought you didn't find me attractive anymore!" She railed. "That you were turned off because I was fat and bloated! That you were terrified of me and my mood swings!"

He shrugged his shoulders as best as he could. "I gotta admit, your mood swings are pretty scary – and some of the food you've been eating makes even **my** stomach turn. But to me, you're still the prettiest woman ever. I just didn't want to hurt or scare the babies."

Hinata narrowed her eyes dangerously and pushed him back onto the bed. "Naruto-kun, I've been horny for the last several months and you've been avoiding me for a reason that makes absolutely no sense whatsoever." She grabbed the neck of his shirt and ripped downward, exposing his muscular and well-toned chest. "And right now, there's nothing you can say or do that's going to keep me from getting what I want."

**_***Sidestep***_**

Hikaru jerked awake, sitting up in bed and breathing heavily, his body drenched in a cold sweat. The nightmare he'd been having was a rather terrifying one – Reira was chasing him around Konoha trying to kiss him. And no matter how fast he ran, or where tried to hide she was always waiting for him around every corner with that sickeningly sweet smile she always wore plastered across her face.

He reached over the side of his bed and grabbed the dirty shirt he'd worn today, which luckily enough was lying on his floor and not in the hamper. He wiped his forehead and tossed it unceremoniously in the corner of his room.

This was the fourth dream this month. He'd never get a good night's sleep again if this kept up, and this wasn't something he could talk to his parents about. Neither of them understood the horror… the sheer horror of a six-year old girl stalking you mercilessly, wanting to be around you all the time, pre-planning your life with her…

Then again, maybe his mom understood but there's no way he'd bring that subject up again. Even his dad looked terrified of her that day of the birthday party.

_"Like I said Hinata, we can't do this."_

His father's voice suddenly wafted into his room. Couldn't do what? It sounded like his parents were arguing. Well, arguing might be the wrong word – they weren't shouting at each other. Right now it sounded more like a heated discussion. Maybe the meeting at the Hyūga compound didn't go as well as they'd hoped and something happened afterwards.

_"…I accidentally hurt the babies?"_

Huh? Hurt what babies? The ones his mom was carrying? What the heck was going on down there? Were they having a sparring match in the house? He threw his covers off and silently padded across the carpet, trying to eavesdrop on the conversation. His mother's voice was too low to hear anything but his father, however didn't have that same problem. His voice was crystal clear.

_"How can you be so sure?"_

He moved further down the hall, coming to a stop at the top of the stairs so he could hear them. It was times like this when he was glad that Hokage-sensei – or should it be Kakashi-sensei now that he wasn't Hokage anymore? – had taught him some of the ANBU stealth techniques. He decided this was as far as he'd go, since his parents might be able to sense him if he got any closer.

_"The babies can't even open their eyes yet. How could they possibly see your penis?"_

Good. He could finally hear his mom's voice, and… Wait a minute. What did his mom just say?

He shook his head, chuckling silently to himself. Nah, that couldn't be right. There's no way his mom was talking about…

_"…the reason why we haven't had sex in months?"_

Hikaru froze, his skin paling several shades as he realized what was going on.

He didn't mishear what his mom just said. His parents **were** talking about sex. They… They were going to have sex while he was in the house and somehow, they'd forgotten to put up a silencing jutsu. He knew how to make a seal that could do the same thing, but at this point it wouldn't make a difference because whether he could hear it or not, _he'd know what they were doing._

The way he saw it, right now he only had one option – **_escape._** It didn't matter how late it was. He needed to get out of here, and fast – before what was going to happen permanently warped his fragile, nine-year old mind.

_"…I've been horny for the last several months, and you've been avoiding me…"_

He moved swiftly back into his room and searched frantically in the dark for a clean shirt and pair of pants, making absolutely sure he remained silent because the _last_ thing he needed was for his parents to hear him moving around. The situation was traumatic enough and he didn't need to make it worse than it already was.

_"Hinata, stop ripping my clothes off!"_

Move faster, move faster… Shirt, pants, shoes… Gotta change clothes quickly…. This would be so much easier if things weren't pitch black. With all the ninja training he'd had, he should be better than this…

_"Trying to get away by using shadow clones, Naruto-kun? Maybe you can have them join in instead."_

Forget it. He'd change on the way. Some late night training far away from here, where his screams of horror wouldn't cause mass panic among the villagers or a visit from the ANBU. Yeah. That's just what he needed to get these horrifying images out of his mind and if it didn't work, maybe one of the Yamanaka could wipe his memory… a severe blow to the head might even work in a pinch…

_"OOOOOHHHHHH…"_

Clothes in hand, eyes wide in terror and only seconds away from a panic attack, Hikaru leapt out of the window and ran as fast as he could across the village rooftops for Training Ground twenty-six.

* * *

A chakra enhanced fist slammed into a tree, shattering it into hundreds of splinters. Before any of them had a chance to hit the ground she pivoted, pulverizing a nearby boulder with an overhead axe kick and then collapsed on all fours, panting heavily with exertion.

**_I find it interesting that you think this little exercise routine will help get rid of me._**

Sakura ground her teeth. Conversations with her inner voice lately had become nothing more than an exercise in futility… no matter what argument she made, in the end it circled right back to the beginning and started at the same point all over again. In addition to that, the tone had turned more snippy and sarcastic, which had the desired effect of raising her ire.

Hence the reason why she was out here, blowing off some steam at Training Ground twenty-six. She was glad that Naruto gave her permission to use it whenever she needed.

_I'm not that deluded. I know it won't, but I'm through using other people as a punching bag. I'll take out my frustrations with you on the local landscape instead._

**_You're referring to your current Hokage and former teammate, as usual._**

_Him and a few other people, but yes. I'm finally making some progress with everyone thanks to Ino. This entire thing started with Naruto, it'll end with him and I'll be damned if I take a step back with anyone – especially him – because of you._

**_I find the original way preferable… and much more satisfying. It's only a matter of time before you come back around to my way of thinking._**

_Sakura struggled to her feet and stood on her slightly shaking knees. Go fuck yourself. I swear, if someone told me I could get rid of you permanently by carving out a section of my brain with a rusty spoon, I'd do it in a heartbeat._

**_Which only proves how delusional you truly are, considering that my presence within your consciousness hasn't convinced you of that already. A simple lobotomy won't be enough to remove me permanently – even if it something like that were possible in the first place._**

Sakura had a nasty reply planned, but stopped short when she felt a presence at the edge of the forest.

**_Well, it looks like you'll get a chance to prove how much you've changed with another one of the villagers. It appears we have company._**

"Who's there?" she demanded, glaring into the darkness. "Show yourself."

There was silence for several seconds. Sakura clenched her fist, ready to punch the ground and rip the treeline to shreds but then Hikaru walked out of the darkness.

"Hikaru?!" She drew back a bit, surprised that he was out here of all places at the exact same time she was.

"Sakura," he replied after a moment, his stone grey eyes boring into her.

She winced. He was still very angry with her – not that he didn't have good reason for it. Throughout her sessions with Lady Tsunade and a great deal of self-reflection, she realized how badly she'd treated Hikaru. During the entire time she'd carried him, her inner voice had subtly influenced her, making the argument that this was a mistake that had to be corrected before Sasuke came back to Konoha.

The word abortion had come up more than once, and each time Sakura promptly shot the idea down. It may have been a mistake, but she'd created a life inside her. The baby was innocent in all this, and shouldn't have to pay the ultimate price for her stupidity.

So once she delivered Hikaru, ridding her body of what her inner voice termed as 'nothing but a burden'. Then she took the coward's way out and discarded him like an unwanted gift, without care or consequence.

Maybe she was wrong earlier. This whole thing began with Naruto, but it would ultimately end with Hikaru.

"This is my dad's private training ground," he said impassively. "I wasn't expecting to see you here. What're you doing out here so late?"

"Naruto… your dad… gave me permission to use it," she explained, rubbing her upper arm nervously. "I can't get out here except late at night after… Sasuke gets home. Somebody has to be there to watch Mikomi."

She couldn't understand why she was acting like this; practically stuttering in front of a nine-year old boy. But he had a presence that was strange – almost fearless – and very determined. It was almost like staring at Naruto when he was younger… before she'd sucked the happiness and optimism out of him.

"What about you?" she asked. "Shouldn't you be home, in bed?"

"I… needed to get out of the house." A look passed across his face and Hikaru shivered. "Mom and dad were having a… private discussion that I didn't need to hear."

Nothing was said – the awkward, tense silence stretched on as each of them wondered what the other was thinking – and why they stuck around instead of leaving.

Sakura finally decided to speak up. "Hikaru, I…"

"Why?" he interrupted tersely.

She blinked a few times in confusion. "I… don't understand what you're asking. Why what?"

"Why do you hate my dad so much?"

Sakura was shocked – not only by the question, but also by the sheer bluntness of it. The boy was definitely just like his father.

"Hikaru, I don't hate your dad. I never did."

"That's a load of crap," he shot back. "You were pretty specific that night at the hospital. Especially that part where my dad proposed and you ripped his heart out."

Sakura cringed. With everything going on in her life, she'd forgotten he was there that night with Neji and overheard everything.

**_The boy certainly is perceptive, isn't he? I'm sure he got his intelligence from you, and not that dunce of a Hokage. I know where this line of questioning is going – but even without me saying so, I believe you already have an idea._**

_And I thought I told you to go fuck yourself._ "Alright – I admit there were times when I was angry and yes, even hated your dad. I said and did some things I shouldn't have and I… I hurt people because of that. Mostly your father, but he wasn't the only one." She took a breath, trying to get rid of the pit that was forming in her stomach. "I was stupid and I was wrong. But believe me when I say I never truly hated your dad. It's just… complicated."

He narrowed his eyes at her accusingly. He may not be the smartest kid around, but he was real good at spotting when someone was evading a question. Mainly because he did it all the time.

"Complicated how?" he pressed.

"It's… kind of hard to explain," she said hesitantly. "You might not know this, but every Team Seven since Konoha was founded has had a complicated and checkered past," she said sadly. "Ours wasn't any different."

"That's another lie. From what I remember, you were the most complicated part of the whole thing," he said matter-of-factly. "My dad was pretty clear with his feelings. And Uncle Sasuke didn't really care one way or the other."

"I know," she sighed heavily, feeling defeated. "I know almost everything that happened was because of me. But that doesn't mean it wasn't complicated."

_Another evasion._ "Okay. You don't wanna say anything about that? Fine. But what about me?"

"What about you?"

"Well, if you didn't hate my dad then you must've hated me, right?"

Her jaw dropped. She was dumbstruck that he could make a statement like that so casually, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Hikaru, why would you even think something like that?" she exclaimed, aghast. "Of course I didn't hate you!"

"Then what was it?" he yelled angrily. "That night at the hospital, you said you didn't want anything around that constantly reminded you of my dad. _That's_ why you gave me up." He pointed an accusatory finger at her. "I don't know how I can believe you with all the lies you've told, but if you're not lying to me right now, then that means there's gotta be another reason – and I'm the only thing left!"

**_Well, this certainly is an interesting turn of events. However, I see two paths before you. If you're truly interested in being honest with the boy, then by all means tell him about me – the voice that convinced you to say those things to Naruto, crushing his heart like a grape in the hope that he would go after Sasuke and convince him to come back to Konoha for you. And let's not forget that I'm also the one who convinced you to get rid of the boy as well. I'm sure he'd love to hear about the alternate personality swimming around inside your head, influencing your every word and thought since before you joined the Academy._**

No, she couldn't do that – telling Hikaru the truth right now would be a mistake, on a number of levels. She was disgusted that her Inner Voice knew it and rather sarcastically pointed it out.

"I'm… sorry, Hikaru. All I can say is that I wasn't lying before. I don't hate your dad, or you. And you didn't do anything wrong. You weren't responsible for anything that happened. It was entirely my fault."

"That's it? That's all I get?" he grated through clenched teeth. "Why can't you just give me a straight answer?"

"Because I just can't. Like I said before, it's… complicated."

Hikaru stared at her, anger coursing through his veins. Even if she wasn't lying, she still wasn't telling him everything – just like his mother did all those years when he repeatedly asked who his father was. He knew for sure this was another secret that'd hurt him just like that one did when he found out the entire truth. Rage burning in his eyes, he raised his right hand in front of him, palm up.

Sakura wondered what he was doing, and then her eyes widened momentarily in surprise as a Rasengan formed in his hand – not only from the fact that he could actually do it, but also because he was threatening her with it. And she could tell by the look on his face that he knew exactly how dangerous the technique was.

For someone trained by one of the legendary Sannin, stopping him would be child's play but in all honesty, she didn't know if she wanted to… or deserved to. Instead, she knelt down, bringing her head to his level and gazed sorrowfully into his eyes.

"Hikaru, what I did was wrong and there's nothing I can say or do to justify it. I can tell you a million times over how sorry I am, but I know that'll sound like a pathetic attempt at forgiveness," she said sadly. "But I promised your father that no matter what it took, I'd make things right. That I'd show everyone how sorry I was, rather than just say it."

"You have every right to hate me right now. If I was in your place I'd feel the same way. But believe me when I say carrying around hatred like that and feeding it constantly only makes it stronger. It influences your thoughts and actions until eventually, it takes on a life of its own…"

In the space of a heartbeat the expression on her face changed to one Hikaru had seen many times before. More often when his parents had first gotten married and less frequently now, but it still appeared from time to time when his father was having a particularly rough day.

It was someone who was weary of the world and the weight it put on your shoulders. Someone saddened by what their life had become due to the choices they'd made.

"…and then, you become someone like me." A tear rolled down her cheek as a look of dejection and hopelessness crossed her face. "Trapped in a reality woven from bad decisions and lies that you've made for yourself – and there's nothing you can about it except live with the consequences."

And in that moment, Hikaru felt a sliver of pity and sorrow for the woman.

"Your father… when we were younger, everyone hated him because of Kurama. The villagers did horrible things to him, but he never gave in to that hatred. He always smiled, never had a bad word to say about anybody, and then…" she swallowed heavily against the guilt building up inside her, "…and then I did what no one else had ever been able to do and turned him into what you see today." She closed her eyes and bowed her head submissively. "I won't let your hatred of me do the same thing to you that it did to your father. So if you feel that using the Rasengan on me is the only way you'll get rid of it, then fine… I won't try to stop you. Kami knows I deserve far worse for what I did."

Hikaru stared at her, kneeling on the ground several feet in front of him with her eyes closed, waiting for the final blow. The Rasengan swirled in his hand, ripping through the air faster and faster as his anger fueled the condensed ball of chakra. The high pitched whine it made caused the hairs on the back of their necks to stand on end.

All he could see was the face of this uncaring woman who gave him up. Who didn't love him. Who hurt his father. Who made his mother promise to keep the truth from him back then. Who was keeping the truth from him now.

_She was the source. The cause of it all. Every bad thing that happened to his family. He hated her… hated her… hated…_

Her life was in his hands. She wasn't making any move to defend herself, accepting any punishment he decided to give. He could end it if he wanted…

Or show her mercy…

_No, he hated her... She threw him away. He hated her…_

He'd overheard his parents talking about the old lady. She'd been in the hospital for the past few weeks. His dad had put her there and somehow, things were better after he beat her up. The same thing could happen here, right?

_He didn't want it better. He wanted it worse. He wanted her to suffer. Like his mother did. Like his father did._

She hadn't moved an inch. Her head was still bowed; her hair wafting slightly in the breeze. She was waiting for the final judgment.

**_His_** _judgment._

He took a step closer and raised his hand… then he froze as the image of the woman in front of him shimmered, like the heat coming off a hot street in the summertime and suddenly, there was a small girl in her place, not even a year old with pink hair and jet black eyes, smiling innocently at him.

_The eyes of a child named Mikomi._

He snapped back to reality. He'd almost forgotten that Sakura was somebody else's mother. And if he took her away from that little girl, he'd be no better than the woman sitting in front of him.

_He couldn't do it. He wasn't that kind of person._

He spun, plowing the Rasengan into a nearby boulder and causing it to explode. Sakura was pelted with debris and she coughed, waving her hand in front of her face to clear away the dust. Once she could breathe again and everything settled she saw Hikaru, standing over a small crater where the boulder had once been.

"Hikaru?" she muttered. She was surprised, but happy he hadn't done it.

"Don't," he said flatly, his body trembling with fear and shame over how close he'd just come to crossing the line. "Just don't say it. Don't thank me. Because hurting you would hurt other people. That's what you did to my dad. And I'm not gonna be like you."

The words pierced her heart, and she almost broke down right then and there. Even though she'd been reminded of what she did many times, this one seemed to hurt the most. "I…I didn't know you could do the Rasengan," she said, smiling ruefully. "That's very impressive, Hikaru. It looks like you got your talent for ninjutsu from your father… but unfortunately, you got your temper from me."

Everything was quiet as Hikaru thought about that. This woman could have been so much more to him, but up until his dad came back to Konoha, she'd barely even acknowledged his existence.

"You know," she said hesitantly, "I realize I'm not the best person in the world. And I do have some bad qualities. But somewhere deep down, maybe… just maybe you inherited one of your good qualities from me."

The silence with Hikaru stretched on, becoming more and more uncomfortable.

After a few more seconds, she gave him a hopeful smile. "Don't you think that's possible?"

Hikaru was still quiet and hadn't moved an inch – but Sakura didn't know what else to say.

"No," he said bitingly, as he turned around and walked away, "it's not. I got everything good from my mother. Because she's the one who raised me. And not you."

Hikaru disappeared into the darkness of the forest, leaving Sakura kneeling on the ground, squeezing her eyelids shut against the tears that stung at the corners of her eyes.

**_You stupid, ignorant girl, Inner Sakura seethed, the malice practically dripping from the voice of the darker personality. You should have known from the start he wouldn't accept your offer. You gained nothing from that little stunt you just attempted to pull – other than the boy harbors more hatred and resentment towards us than before. And yet you still refuse to take revenge on him, or anyone else in this village because of your foolish desire to… make amends._**

**_You will come to regret the decision you've made here tonight. Mark my words… if the opportunity ever presents itself, I will definitely make you regret your decision._**

* * *

Hiashi raised the teacup to his lips, inhaling the aroma of the sweet Jasmine tea. He closed his eyes and sipped, letting the hot liquid trickle down his throat and relishing the taste. He was fond of this particular blend, sold only in this specific teahouse, which unfortunately enough for him was located on the far side of the village near the Sarutobi clan.

He could feel something was off, so he opened his eyes and looked over the rim of his cup. The three women sitting with him at the table were staring expectantly back at him.

"I can't help but feel that there is some sort of hidden agenda present at our gathering here today. Are you three planning an intervention?" he asked, placing his cup back on the saucer. "Because based on your general demeanor and posture, it certainly seems like one. Although I have no idea what it might be for."

Hinata and Hanabi smiled slightly, but Tenten chuckled dryly. "Yes and no, Hiashi. It's an intervention, but not in the way you might think."

"Then should I be worried?" He folded his hands and remained calm, even though on the inside he was slightly more guarded. "It can't be a coincidence that you have me perfectly positioned with my back against the wall, cutting off any potential for escape." He let out a small, humorless laugh. "Besides, even if I had such an option I think it would be best to avoid it. I wouldn't want to be on the bad side of three pregnant women, especially those I'm related to."

Hinata laughed merrily. "Father, please… that may be true about Tenten, but Hanabi and I aren't nearly that scary."

_Normally,_ Tenten and Hanabi thought. They remembered an incident years ago when one of the local vendors had gone too far, taunting Hikaru about being illegitimate, loudly and in full view of everyone else at the local market.

_'Bastard'_ had been the word he'd actually used.

After Hikaru had come home crying, Hinata went to see him, hoping to have a rational conversation with the man… and ended up destroying his shop.

And part of the one next door.

And putting the man in the hospital with a concussion.

Although, to be fair he'd sustained the injury when one of the ceiling beams fell on his head, and not from Hinata hitting him.

"Ignoring for the moment that Hinata's lying through her teeth," Tenten said, rolling her eyes, "we actually do have a good reason for this meeting, Hiashi."

"Wait a minute," Hinata interrupted, "how am I lying?"

"Because you're the scariest one out of all of us!" Tenten exclaimed.

Hinata's eyes grew wide. "Tenten! That's a horrible thing to say! I'm probably the nicest…"

"And that!" Tenten exclaimed, "That right there is why you're so scary! Usually you're all nice and shy and sweet, but if anyone pisses you off, it's like being locked in a room with a rabid wolverine!"

"Ladies, please calm down." Hanabi stated calmly and yet terrifying at the same time, sending a chill down the spine of everyone within earshot, "This isn't the time or place for a discussion on this. The two of you can lay equal claim to that title – since in your own particular way, both of you can be pretty scary."

_That's the pot calling the kettle black,_ the two of them thought sullenly. Tenten pouted while Hinata blushed, twisting her wedding ring nervously on her finger.

Hanabi turned her attention back to Hiashi. "We wanted to talk about your future with your grandchildren."

Hiashi suddenly had a sinking feeling in his stomach. This was standard procedure when delivering bad news – have the meeting in public, where causing a scene would be highly embarrassing and practically unthinkable for someone from the Hyūga clan.

These girls… no, these _women_ knew exactly what they were doing and had played their cards well.

"I'd be happy to discuss that particular topic – as long as it's in a positive light." Hiashi remained stately, despite the hint of nervousness he was feeling. "It does come as a bit of a surprise, though. We usually restrict ourselves to lighthearted conversations when we meet for tea. Is there something I should be concerned about?"

The three women glanced nervously at each other, wondering what would be the best way to proceed since this was a delicate subject that should be treated with care.

"I wouldn't say concerned, Father." Hinata reassured him. "It's not the real reason we wanted to talk to you today – but it'**s** definitely tied to it."

"I see." Hiashi rather firmly set his cup down on the saucer, making a very audible 'clink'. "Then perhaps you could enlighten me as to what the real reason is?"

"Naruto spilled the beans." Tenten said gruffly. "We know why you've been spending more time with us lately."

Hiashi frowned in disappointment. "I find that to be truly upsetting. While I never explicitly asked him to keep those conversations private, I assumed he would have done so. Next time I'll have to be more specific – and not quite so generous with my trust."

"You're jumping to conclusions, Father." Hanabi chided him. "You might find this hard to believe, but Naruto actually defended you – on several occasions."

"And just why would our Hokage defend me? He has no reason to."

"I think… it's because Naruto-kun understands that you've suffered – both at the hands of life, and from those in positions of power and influence within the clan," Hinata said sympathetically, her eyes softening. Tenten and Hanabi glanced sideways at her but remained quiet. "He's experienced similar pain in his own life. And just like what happened with him, he knows it wasn't entirely your fault."

Hiashi's façade faltered for a moment as he chuckled at the irony. The last thing he'd expected to hear was that anyone – especially Naruto – could relate to the mistakes he'd made.

When the average person on the street calls you a failure as a father, you tend to ignore them and continue on because they are either beneath your notice, or drunk. Sometimes both.

It was another thing entirely when someone with enough power to wipe you out in the space of a heartbeat says the same thing. You tend to pay attention to people like that.

After learning the truth about the sacrifice Hinata had made to care for Hikaru – as well as several candid meetings with Naruto – he found himself reflecting more and more on his life, and his role as a father.

And he was saddened by it all. Other people might say horrified. Or perhaps disgusted.

"Nee-san and I… we want you to know that we understand too," Hanabi said kindly, reaching out and grasping one of his hands. "When mother died it was very hard on you. And the council and the elders only made matters worse when they suggested Uncle Hizashi take your place to pacify Kumogakure."

"They used all that pain and anger you were holding inside to their advantage." Hinata continued, taking his other hand in her own. "They made you believe that a lack of control is what caused everything. That if you'd been stricter, things would have turned out differently, rather than be left to chance."

"You treated Nee-san and me harshly because they made you believe that was the correct thing to do." Hanabi squeezed his hand gently. "They pitted us against each other, making sure the needs of the clan came before the happiness of our own family."

"But neither of us hold a grudge against you because of that," Hinata said, smiling warmly at him. "Despite what you might think, we both still love you very much."

Hiashi stared back at his children in disbelief. He'd done nothing to earn their forgiveness and yet here they were, offering him their unconditional love. It was not only a powerful gesture, but also immensely humbling since he didn't deserve it in the least.

"Thank you, daughters." he said gratefully, his voice thick with emotion. "It means a great deal to know you don't hate me because of both what I did, and what I allowed others to do. But that leaves me to wonder, in what way does any of this deal with my future grandchildren? Are you concerned about my influence on them because of past experiences, and prefer that my interaction with them be limited due to that? Because I certainly wouldn't blame you if that's the case."

"That's not it at all, Hiashi." Tenten shifted uncomfortably in her chair. Even though she was technically family, that was a special moment between Hiashi and his daughters… and that's something she most definitely was not. "We're not looking to keep you from your family. It's just that now you've got plenty of time, seeing as you don't have to deal with running the clan anymore. And the three of us feel this is a prime opportunity for you to fix some additional parts of your life."

Hiashi reluctantly drew back his hands and stared warily at her. "Fix other parts of my life? Such as what?"

"Please don't be suspicious of us, father." Hinata leaned back in her chair and absently rubbed her belly. "It's just that… we believe you should be happy. You may not think so, but everyone deserves happiness, even you."

"And mother has been gone for a long time now," Hanabi added, "but I think she'd want you to be happy too."

"None of us want to be insensitive, but this whole downward spiral of your life started when your wife passed away." Tenten tried to say it as gently as she could, but wow she sucked at this. Even Hanabi was better than her. Probably. Maybe. "You can't just think that being a better father or grandfather will fix everything. You need the other half – you need to find someone to share your life with. That's the only way you're really going to heal."

At first Hiashi was taken aback – and a little bit offended. Hitomiko had been such an integral and important part of his life. Losing her had been heartbreaking, and the thought of replacing his beloved wife… pain lanced through him at the thought of it, along with a hint of anger at the absurdity of the idea.

But then he realized – maybe this is exactly the point they were trying to make.

He was tired of the pain. He didn't want to hurt anymore. Or be known as nothing but a cold hearted failure of a father. And he wasn't going to get better if he wasn't even interested in trying.

"It… sounds like you three have put a lot of thought into this, and your points are taken, albeit a bit reluctantly. I know you're not doing this out of spite, but rather out of concern and I'm grateful that you still care enough about me to broach such a delicate and sensitive subject. Although, against my better judgment I have to ask if you're bringing this up because you have someone in mind that you plan on suggesting."

Hanabi pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket and handed it over. "Actually, no… but we made a list of personal qualities that any woman you consider should have."

He quickly glossed over it. "There are twenty two items on this list."

"That's right. We know. " Tenten said.

"Isn't there any way you can shorten it?"

"That… That is the shortened list," Hinata said sheepishly. "The original one had forty seven items."

Hiashi eyed the three of them suspiciously. "And if I refuse? Will this keep me from seeing my grandchildren?"

"No." Tenten shook her head. "We're not so shallow and heartless that we'd do something like that. But we think it'll definitely make a difference in your life. Happiness tends to spread to other people you interact with… and that's something you don't have a lot of right now."

He hesitated for a moment as he thought about it. Despite his misgivings, he couldn't dismiss the fact that their argument held a lot of merit. And if he was truly interested in turning over a new leaf, he should make the effort. Not only for the sake of his children and grandchildren, but also for himself.

"Then I will consider it – but I'm making no promises. I won't choose someone just for the sake of pacifying any of you."

"And we wouldn't expect you to, Hiashi," Tenten replied. "We just want you to find happiness. And love. But we all feel you need a little kick in the pants to help you get started."

Hiashi's gaze remained placid, but on the inside he was chuckling, mostly at himself. In his entire life, he didn't think he'd ever agreed to so many demands at once, and he found it surprising and a little disconcerting as to how much influence these three women held over him.

But maybe he could surprise them as well and show them he could actually change, rather than just saying it. Not something small and self-serving, but something emotionally impactful and selfless.

"Then since you have made so many conditions – even going so far as to provide me with a list – I would like to make one of my own, Tenten."

She quirked an eyebrow. "And that is?"

"Since you have married Neji and are now part of this clan, technically you should refer to me as 'Uncle' rather than use my name," he said offhandedly, "However, seeing as how you've joined my daughters in this little coalition of yours, I would like you to refer to me as 'Father', the same as Hinata and Hanabi do. After all, I consider you as my daughter, the same as them."

Hinata covered her mouth, stifling a gasp of surprise. Hanabi bit her lower lip to keep it from trembling. And Tenten had tears brimming in her eyes.

It was a very pleasant and emotionally heartfelt offer. It showed that Hiashi considered her to be family as much as his own flesh and blood, and that he really was interested in changing his ways.

But moments like this – even when she was alone with Neji – always made Tenten feel uncomfortable. She was a kunoichi and a weapons mistress for Kami's sake – not some housewife wearing an apron, baking cookies all day and asking her husband to kill spiders for her because they were 'icky'.

She had a coping mechanism when this happened… either use her killing intent on the person responsible or inject humor into the situation. Option two was probably her best bet right now.

"Well, I think I'll call you 'Dad' instead. I like how that sounds better. But you got a deal."

Hiashi frowned disapprovingly. "If you must, I would appreciate you calling me Father."

"Ok, Dad."

"Father."

"No problem, Dad."

He stared at her and said nothing, while Hanabi and Hinata wisely held back their laughter.

* * *

**_***Two days later***_**

Naruto was seated behind his desk, surrounded by five shadow clones at various points throughout the room. Each had a portion of a stack of paperwork in front of them that somehow appeared in his office overnight.

It didn't take long for Naruto to figure out that paperwork was the bane of any Hokage's existence. He thought it would be troublemaking genin, like both he and Konohamaru were, but he was dead wrong.

A knock at the door interrupted his self-imposed suffering.

"Who is it?" a chorus of voices snapped.

Without any announcement the door opened and Shino stepped into the office. His eyes, hidden behind dark lenses took in the surroundings, and it immediately became apparent to the Aburame why there were multiple voices, and every one of them sounded irritated.

The insect user was temporarily filling in for Shikamaru while he and Temari were on a well-deserved vacation at Koyuki's castle in the Land of Snow. The timing was actually close to perfect, since he was close to being finished with cataloging the scrolls Saladin had sent him. But with the amount of responsibility and work he was taking on filling in for Shikamaru, Naruto decided to go over that pile of information at a later date.

And honestly, he was kind of enjoying having Shino around. He was quiet most of the time, punctual, didn't complain, and when he did speak he didn't mince words. He was direct and to the point.

"Morning, Shino. What's up?"

Shino deftly sidestepped the clones, as well as the stacks of paperwork strewn across the floor and handed Naruto a scroll, tied shut with a fancy green ribbon.

"We have a situation." he said calmly.

"Oh?" Naruto raised his eyebrows in mild surprise. "It must be pretty damn important for you to come see me, since I gave you permission to handle the smaller stuff yourself."

Shino pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "This arrived by messenger hawk less than an hour ago. Kusagakure is requesting Lady Tsunade's assistance. It seems that an enemy managed to poison a portion of the local water supply. Whatever it was is beyond the ability of their local medical staff to cure."

"Message verified?"

"Yes, by the code division."

Naruto unrolled the scroll and began to read it. "All they do is list symptoms, but not the disease or the poison that caused it," he stated, pointing at a section of the message. "Do you have any idea what they're talking about?"

Shino shook his head – which didn't amount to much, since most of his face was hidden by the high collar of his coat. "I'll admit, I was curious enough that I sought out Lady Shizune for further clarification before coming to see you. However, this is something even she is unfamiliar with and basically suggested we go straight to Lady Tsunade. But as you can see from the message, time is of the essence. Two dozen people have been infected – ten of them being children."

"Then I'd better get going," Naruto said, rolling back up the scroll before looking around at his clones. "Sorry guys, it looks like I'm taking a break while you keep working."

"Awww…"

But the groans fell on deaf ears, because Naruto had already used the Hiraishin and was gone.

* * *

Tsunade was on the second floor of the Hospital, standing next to a surgical table in one of the outpatient operating rooms. Her hands were glowing green and hovering over a large, almost dead fish.

The door flew open and Naruto barged in, breaking her concentration and startling her at the same time.

"Hey, Baa-chan!" he shouted loudly as he greeted her.

Of course, this also caused the fish she was working on to explode, spraying guts all over her – and the room.

She took a deep breath and sighed as she started picking chunks of fish out her hair. "Hey, gaki." At least he was boisterous and energetic again, like when he was younger. That was certainly encouraging. "So, what brings you out of your office and over here to bother… I mean, visit me today? Paperwork making you crazy? Decided you wanted to share your misery?"

Naruto chuckled and shook his head. "Actually, getting away from the paperwork is just a bonus. I left some clones behind to finish up. What I'm really here to see you about is this."

Tsunade looked quizzically at him as she took the scroll Naruto was extending toward her. As she unrolled it and read the contents, her expression darkened.

"Shit. This is bad."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Well, I figured as much because they asked for you personally."

"No no no, not that." She said, pointing to a specific part of the message. "Their bone marrow has been infected."

Naruto stared blankly at her for a few moments. "Umm… what's bone marrow?"

"It's this very soft tissue that runs through the center of every bone in your body."

He furrowed his brow in thought. "You mean like the jelly in the center of a donut?"

Tsunade pinched the bridge of her nose. Naruto was a good Hokage, but hell… everything he knew about the human body could probably fit on a cocktail napkin.

"Yes," she said tonelessly, "like the jelly in the center of a donut. Now, watch this…"

She took her finger and flicked it against the top of the metal operating table. It slammed loudly against the floor and bent in half.

Naruto shrugged. "Okay, so you destroyed that table with your super strength. I've seen you do stuff like that a hundred times."

"But that's the problem. I wasn't trying to destroy it. I just wanted to put a small dent in the top." Tsunade shook her head. "There's a reason why I'm in here doing the fish exercise, gaki. My chakra control has been screwed up since our fight. Now, imagine me trying to do something as delicate as working on bone marrow…"

"I get it," he said mildly. "They'd explode just like that fish that's still in your hair. Right?"

"Right." Tsunade did a double take. "Wait – there's still fish in my hair?"

"Yeah. The fish head. It's staring right at me."

"Why didn't you say something before?!" Tsunade exclaimed, feeling around for it.

"I don't know. I kinda figured you were keeping it there as a reminder. Like…" He held up his hands defensively and stared at her in mock fright. "…please don't kill any more of us! We want to live! Fish are people, too!"

"QUIT BEING A SMARTASS AND GET IT OUT OF MY HAIR!"

"Okay, okay! Hold still!" He reached out and took it. "There. Happy?"

Tsunade stared icily at him.

The corners of his mouth twitched as he offered her the fish head. "Want to use it to make soup later?"

She slapped it out of his hand.

"I guess that means no."

She growled at him, unamused. "Can we get back to the reason why you're here in the first place?"

"Fine," Naruto huffed, running his fingers through his hair, "but what difference does it make? If your chakra control is that screwed up, we can't send any help."

Tsunade wagged her finger at him. "I didn't say that. There's one other person who can cure something like this… and you know who it is."

"You mean… Sakura?" he asked tentatively.

"Yes."

"No," he said, even more firmly than usual. "I'm not sending her. She's a mother. She's got a baby that depends on her…"

"That's a bullshit reason Naruto, and you know it." She said candidly, interrupting him. "There are plenty of shinobi with families. If Mikomi only had one parent you might have an argument, but not in this case. This is a serious medical situation, and as Hokage you need to put your personal feelings for Sakura aside and make the tough decision. Otherwise, you're condemning those people in Kusa to death."

"But can't we just…" he pleaded.

"NO." She rolled the scroll back up and slammed it into his palm, causing him to wince from the pain. "I know what you're going to say. You can't send an antidote because there isn't one. It'd cure the poison but not how it affected the bone marrow – and every case will be different because every **_person_** is different. You need pinpoint control and accuracy for something like this which means right now, Sakura is your only choice."

* * *

**_Knock, knock._**

It was two hours later and Naruto was once again seated behind his desk, with five shadow clones scattered around his office doing paperwork. They should have been done by the time he got back, but apparently when he decided to take a break and go see Tsunade, they ALL decided to take a break.

So now they were back to the beginning… Same spot, same clones, same paperwork and same knock on the door interrupting him.

Before he could answer, the door opened and Sasuke walked into his office. He smiled, glad to see his brother but before he could greet him Sakura walked in, carrying Mikomi in a small infant seat. A small teddy bear was clutched in the baby's tiny hands and she was drooling happily on one of the ears, which she had shoved into her mouth.

The surprising part however, was that being around Sakura didn't seem to sting as much as it did before. Maybe someday soon, he'd think of her as a friend once again. Maybe.

But seeing Mikomi just sat staring around without a care in the world made Naruto a little envious. There were plenty of times he wished he could "pull a Shikamaru" and just stare at the clouds all day.

"Okay guys, gather up what's left and take a break," he instructed the clones. "We can finish up after lunch."

One by one, the clones brought their paperwork to Naruto's desk and stacked it in a nice, neat pile before disappearing in a cloud of smoke. When the last one was gone, Naruto finally decided to greet his visitors.

"Hey, Sakura. How are you?"

Sakura blinked in surprise. Naruto had just spoken casually with her – like they were old friends who hadn't seen each other in a long time. There was still a lack of warmth in his tone, but at least it wasn't cold or indifferent anymore.

"I'm… good," she replied, hesitating a bit as she recalled her encounter with Hikaru the other night. "Doing good, thanks."

He nodded. "How about you, teme?"

"Hn," Sasuke snorted. "Same as always, dobe. Running the ANBU can be tiring sometimes. It's surprising how many childish and stupid people reside in this village."

Naruto laughed dryly at his brother's comments. "Don't I know it."

"So… you were pretty insistent on seeing us as quickly as possible. Why the rush?"

It was like a switch had been flipped – and the two Uchiha grew concerned because in the space of a few seconds, Naruto suddenly looked like he hadn't slept in a week. Whatever it was, it was weighing on him heavily.

"I have a mission… for Sakura."

Both of them eyed him skeptically. "What?"

"We got this by messenger hawk from Kusagakure this morning," he explained, tossing the scroll to Sakura who deftly caught it. "Someone poisoned part of their local water supply, and now a bunch of people are really sick. They have this disease that affects their bone marrow…"

"Neutropenia." Sakura commented absently as she continued to read.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, and Naruto raised two. "They didn't mention it by name. How do you know what it is?"

"From the explanation of the symptoms they gave in this scroll, it's the only thing it could be."

Both men stared at her in admiration and a little bit of awe. Sometimes they forgot just how good Sakura was at her job. There was a reason why she was one of the foremost medical ninja in the elemental nations.

"What exactly does it do?" Naruto wasn't extremely interested, but he was definitely a bit curious. "Tsunade only told me it affects a person's bone marrow, but she didn't say anything else." He held up a finger, forestalling her for a moment. "And keep in mind that my level of intelligence about medical stuff is close to zero."

She sighed. It wasn't just Naruto. Most people tended to zone out when she went into full blown medic-nin mode. Plus, she had a tendency to get overly detailed and analytical which made things even worse.

"It basically shuts down the body's ability to fight infections. Even getting something as small as a paper cut or catching a cold could kill you." She rubbed her forehead, as she thought about various effects and treatments she'd have to employ. "This is a really rare disease," she remarked. "Whoever did this must be incredibly skilled with poisons."

"That certainly narrows down your list of possible suspects to only a few hundred people," Sasuke commented, somewhat sardonically.

"I'm going to coordinate with Kusa about that later," Naruto said, waving his hand dismissively. "The bigger problem right now is there's two dozen people who've been infected, and about ten of them are children."

"Tsunade can't go," he grated. "Her chakra control is still fried from our fight, and she said this is very precise and delicate work." He folded his hands on the desk in front of him and stared solemnly at her. "So what I'm saying is, I'd like you to volunteer for this mission. And I'm sorry to sound like this, but if you don't…"

Sakura didn't even hesitate. "You don't even need to finish. I'll go."

"Hold on a minute," Sasuke interjected, "You said all this began because these people were poisoned. Isn't this as simple as sending an antidote? Why do you need to go?"

"Because it's **not** that simple," Sakura countered, staring at her husband. "The poison was merely a catalyst – the weakened bone marrow is the real problem. If someone administers the wrong treatment, or the wrong combination of treatments it could very well end up killing the patient. It has to be done on a case by case basis and if I don't go, those people are as good as dead."

Even if she wasn't driven by her Hippocratic Oath to give aid to those in need, she would have taken the mission anyway to prove herself to Naruto. He'd just spoken to her without any coldness in his voice for the first time in what seemed like forever. She honestly felt they were finally making progress and she'd be damned if she was going to let him, or anyone else down.

It was her chance to show him – show everyone – that she had changed.

"I volunteer for the mission."

They stared intently at each other for a few seconds. Sakura could tell that even though he'd been the one to call her here, and basically gave her an ultimatum to accept the mission, he was still struggling with the decision, but why? Did it have something to do with Sasuke, Mikomi or… her, specifically?

"Okay," he relented, breaking her train of thought. "Shizune will be coming along to assist you, but you're the one in charge. I'll get two more members to round out your team and debrief them. Everyone will meet at the front gate at exactly two P.M., which gives you one hour and seven minutes to pack your bag and make any arrangements you need to. Once you leave, I'll send a messenger hawk to let Kusa know you're on your way."

Sakura nodded, then picked up Mikomi and turned to leave but after a single step she stopped. Her shoulders shook as she drew a shaky breath and then slumped a bit, like she was struggling internally with something.

"Naruto, how… how is Hikaru?"

Sasuke and Naruto exchanged a glance, a little surprised at the unexpected question, as well as curious. Her back was still turned towards them, so they couldn't see her face. But they imagined it looked as sad as her voice sounded.

"He's… fine, Sakura. Why do you ask?"

She paused for a second, unsure if she should continue. "Well, I... I ran into him the other night."

Naruto glanced at her suspiciously. "You ran into him? When? Where?"

"Out at Training Ground twenty-six, around ten o'clock. It was that night we had the full moon."

"Ten o'clock? What the hell was Hikaru doing out there at that time of night?"

"He said he… needed to get out of the house. Something about you and Hinata having some sort of discussion that he didn't need to hear."

Naruto scrunched his face as he tried to remember. What night was that full moon? Monday? Yeah, Monday. He'd had that big meeting at the Hyūga compound and Neji asked him to stay behind for a little bit. And then when he got home later, Hinata… attacked him…

His face paled. Oh, Kami. Did Hinata forget to put up a silencing jutsu? Did… Did Hikaru hear… **_everything_** that went on that night? _Had he scarred his son for life?_

"Oh. Yeah. That… discussion me and Hinata had. I guess we were a little too loud and woke him up."

Sasuke however, wasn't paying attention to Naruto. His eyes were focused on Sakura and he reached out, turning her around to face him. "Wait a minute, Sakura. Why didn't you tell me about this?"

"Because I knew you'd overreact." She said accusingly.

"And why exactly would I overreact?"

For a brief second, Sakura thought about telling both Naruto and Sasuke that it was a private matter and she wouldn't discuss it, but she quickly realized how stupid that idea was. Both of them were inordinately stubborn and weren't going to take 'no' for an answer.

So she sighed and sat back down, placing Mikomi right beside her chair.

And she told them what happened.

About how she'd been out training late at night, and Hikaru had shown up unannounced. He'd referred to her by name – using no honorific – and began demanding answers.

"He… asked why I hated you so much," Sakura said, sounding despondent and listless, "and why I hated him so much. When I told him that wasn't true, he… brought up what happened that night at the hospital."

Sakura raised her eyes to look at Naruto, and he flinched almost imperceptibly at the anguish and grief he saw reflected in them.

"Every word was burned into his memory." She buried her head in her hands. "He remembered every little detail of what I said."

At that point, she didn't know what to do or say, other than apologize and take the blame but apparently that wasn't enough. But when he raised his hand and formed a Rasengan, she knew exactly what he wanted.

And she gave it to him. She offered him her life, in exchange for his hatred.

Suddenly, her skin began to crawl. Her head shot up and she noticed Naruto and Sasuke were both leaking a corrupted aura into the room.

Their eyes were blazing and their faces were absolutely livid.

**_"Hikaru did WHAT?!" Naruto shouted._**

"Look, he didn't hit me with it. I'm here. I'm fine."

"That's not the point, Sakura." Sasuke said coldly, glaring at her with a fully activated Mangekyō Sharingan. "Hikaru isn't as skilled with his control of the Rasengan as Naruto is."

"Yeah. What Sasuke said." Naruto threw up his hands in exasperation. "He could've killed you, Sakura! And you were just gonna let that happen!"

"I wasn't going to let him carry around that kind of hatred. Look what it did to you!" she said accusingly, pointing at Sasuke. "And you!" she said, pointing at Naruto. "So, please… the both of you. Please just let this go."

"Not a chance, Sakura." Naruto said adamantly. "There's no way I'll…"

"Please, Naruto. You don't have to worry about me anymore. This… This was something between Hikaru and me. I found out exactly where I stand in his life. He was very clear and specific. Things are settled between us and no one was hurt."

Then she stood up, facing them with a confidence she hadn't felt in several months. She cracked her knuckles threateningly and stared them down, causing two of the most powerful ninja in the world to falter a bit.

"But even if I'd been the one who was hurt, it would still be over. **_SO JUST LET IT GO!"_**

Finally, all of the shouting and corrupted aura leaking into the room caught up with them, and Mikomi started to cry. After one last glaring look at the two of them, Sakura picked up her daughter and walked out of the room, not even bothering to look back.

Naruto and Sasuke stared at the door for a good ten seconds, both of them still angry but neither of them saying a word. And then slowly, their anger receded and the corrupted aura surrounding their bodies vanished.

"Well, that was certainly a blast from the past," Sasuke commented wryly. "I'd almost forgotten how intimidating she can be sometimes."

"Yeah," Naruto agreed. "Y'know, it's funny… no matter how strong you and I are, or will ever get, Sakura can still scare us shitless."

Sasuke quirked his lips. "Maybe you were scared dobe, but I wasn't."

"Whatever," Naruto mocked, "but I'm not the one who has to go home to Sakura while she's like this. You do."

Sasuke glared at his brother, trying to think of a good comeback… but he couldn't.

"Fine." Sasuke conceded. "But you have to say something to Hikaru."

"I will. Believe it. I understand him being angry and all, but what he did was **_way_** out of line."

"He needs to let go of that hatred, dobe. You and I both know what it does to a person."

"I know, I know," Naruto huffed, "but can't just tell him to let it go. And screaming at him won't help either. You know how kids are – how **_we_** were. Anytime Kakashi-sensei did that to us, we ignored him out of spite and it got us into even more trouble. Hikaru needs to make the decision on his own. That's the only way it'll stick."

Sasuke grunted, reluctantly agreeing. He was surprised that with all the shit they'd put him through, Kakashi wasn't certifiably insane by now. And Hikaru was just like his father.

Then an idea struck him. "Hold on. What if…" He drifted off, staring absently at the wall.

"What if… what?" Naruto asked. He knew Sasuke was doing it to purposely irritate him. Couple that with what he just learned about Hikaru, and well… it was working better than expected. "WHAT?"

"What if… I talked with him?" Sasuke offered, the hard lines on his face vanishing. One corner of his mouth turned upwards as he smirked ruefully. "After all... anger, revenge... it's kinda my thing."

"Okay, you got me there." A grin split Naruto's face and he chuckled a little. "But your humor still sucks though." Then he tapped his chin thoughtfully. "How about we join forces instead? I think two heads might be better than one in this situation."

"Especially when it's **your** son we're talking about."

"Ha ha. You're so funny." Naruto deadpanned. "But let's at least wait until tomorrow, since Sakura will be out of the village by then. The last thing either of us want is to be within arm's length of Sakura if she found out we're doing this."

A cold shiver ran down Sasuke's spine and the hair on the back of his neck stood on end.

"Agreed."

.

.

"I don't like this."

"Sasuke-kun, what could happen?"

"What could happen? Anything!" he argued as Sakura calmly continued to pack her mission bag. The thing had been wadded up and shoved in the back of their closet since they moved into the rebuilt Uchiha compound. It smelled musty and was in need of a good cleaning, but she didn't care. In fact, she seemed almost eager to leave.

"You haven't been on a mission since we found out you were pregnant. Not to mention you just recently started training again…"

"It's a medical mission," she remarked, "I'm not going to fight Madara Uchiha. Besides, I'll have other people with me. "

"What about Mikomi?" Sasuke argued. "I'm the head of the ANBU, Sakura. I can't watch her full time."

"Ino's been helping me out." She stuffed four pairs of pants and three t-shirts into the bag. "She can watch Mikomi for a few hours during the day."

"What about breast feeding?"

Her lips twitched as she suppressed her laughter. "I wouldn't try that with Ino. She'd probably slap you."

Sasuke blinked owlishly; a bit shocked that she'd make such a tasteless joke at a time like this. "Can you be serious for a moment?" he snapped.

"Sasuke-kun. I'm going. I won't let those people die."

He heaved an exasperated sigh. "I know you can't. It's just that… I…"

Sakura stopped what she was doing and stared at him; a little bit surprised at the catch in his voice.

"Why Sasuke Uchiha, are you… worried about your wife? Are you actually going to miss me?"

The muscles along his jawline danced as he clenched his teeth. Moments like this still made him uncomfortable as hell.

"Yes. To both."

A smile lit up her face. She took a step forward and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him warmly and burying her face in his chest. "You know, I haven't heard you say something like that in a long time."

"I'm trying, Sakura. But you know I still have a hard time with emotions."

"Could you… do it?" she asked timidly, with hopeful eyes. "Just once for me?"

"Do what?"

"Just… tell me how you feel about me." She brushed a hand across his cheek, her fingertips lightly tracing the flexing muscles along his jawline. Her touch seemed to have a calming effect because the muscles unclenched and relaxed.

"Show me that you still care about me. That… That you still love me."

Sasuke hesitated for a moment, and then a ghost of smile played across his lips. He reached up and placed two fingers in the center of her forehead, right over her Hyakugou seal. "I will always care about you, Sakura. You are my wife. It's the words I have a hard time with."

Sakura blushed. The gesture, while very simple seemed much more intimate and personal than anything he usually did. And as she reveled in the feeling, she realized he was right. Yes, he cared about her… but it was the words 'I Love You' she wanted most. And for him, they were the hardest words to say. They always had been.

"Maybe you could work on that while I'm gone? I'd like to hear those three little words when I get back."

He nodded. "I… will try. For you Sakura… I will try."

* * *

Later that night, when Naruto returned home to his family he found Hinata in the kitchen, eating another one of her wretchedly awful pregnancy snacks – this one contained hot peppers, broccoli, peanut butter and shrimp over rocky road ice cream.

He greeted her and quickly moved on, pretending not to hear her when she asked him for a kiss.

Hikaru was in his room, doing his homework from school that day. Reira was still staying with Kakashi until tomorrow, when Hanari was due home from the hospital. The house was mostly quiet, and he decided it should stay that way.

So he relaxed for a bit, giving Hinata just enough time to finish off that… **thing** she was eating before he went back in the kitchen and told her he was going to bed early, since it had been a very exhausting day.

Luckily enough, Hinata didn't question him because he didn't have to fake how tired he looked. Plus, if he was asleep he didn't have to tell Hinata that Hikaru had more than likely heard them having sex the other day and then, after running out of the house almost used a Rasengan on Sakura at Training Ground twenty-six. The last thing his wife and the twins needed right now was stress.

When he'd arrived in his office the next morning, Mina informed him that a messenger from the Hyūga clan had shown up half an hour earlier. While the need wasn't immediate, they were requesting his presence at the compound at his earliest convenience. The clan leader, Neji Hyūga wished to speak with him privately.

Naruto smiled. Helping put Neji in charge of the Hyūga clan ranked as one of the greater accomplishments in his life. Marrying Hinata was still at the top, along with the creation of his children… Hikaru, and the twins Hinata was carrying.

But that still ranked WAY above becoming Hokage, which he'd always thought would be the highest. He found it funny, and a bit ironic at how maturity changed his perspective on that particular item. Not that it wasn't a big accomplishment, it just paled in comparison to the others.

However, it did remind him that he was picking Hikaru up later today and meeting Sasuke at Training Ground three for a little... talk. Visiting Neji right before that would probably be the best use of his time – and it would ensure the conversation didn't last _too long._

* * *

"I like what you've done with the place," Naruto remarked comically as they walked through the hallways of the compound. "The walls seem an almost lighter shade of grey and brown."

Neji shot him a scathing look. "It hasn't been that long since I became clan leader, and I didn't want to make any wholesale changes until we could safely deal with the caged bird seal."

"What do you mean?" Naruto followed Neji into his office, noticing that most of the ornate decorations Hiashi used had been removed, leaving the room surprisingly bare. The only thing distinctly belonging to Neji was the picture on his desk of Tenten… with a mace slung over her shoulder. Naruto wondered absently if she slept with a storage scroll full of weapons under her pillow. "The council voted to stop using the caged bird seal. I was there."

"But every member of the branch family still bears the mark," Neji explained, "and I'd rather not have any of them go through the same experience I did." He sat behind his desk activated the privacy seals before he continued. "It took Hikaru several hours to remove my own seal and it exhausted him in the process, even though Lady Tsunade helped. Even so, he needed a few days to completely recover his reserves."

He tapped his desk rhythmically, like he was emphasizing every point in his line of reasoning. "Even if we could eliminate the recovery time with no days off in-between, one clan member a day would still take Hikaru almost a year to complete – and that's including help from Lady Tsunade."

_Which she can't give right now because I fucked up her chakra control,_ Naruto berated himself. _Way to go, Hokage._ Of course, this also served to remind him that Sakura was on her way to Kusagakure because of that, and then he remembered her story about running into Hikaru out at Training Ground twenty-six… and he scowled.

"Well, right now that's the only method we have – unless Hikaru comes up with a better one. But I can personally guarantee he'll be able to focus a lot more on that, since later today I'll be taking away my son's free time for the next six months."

_Six months._ Naruto wouldn't punish Hikaru without good reason, but six months? Whatever his nephew did must have been astronomically bad. Neji idly wondered if Hinata knew about it, but then common sense kicked in and he wisely decided to let his curiosity pass. He wasn't Ino and frankly, it was none of his business.

"Then I believe you will need this before you do so." He reached into his desk and took out an ornate wooden box, presenting it to Naruto. Inside, sitting in the middle of a pillow made of the finest silk, was a rather worn and yellowed scroll.

Naruto gingerly picked it up. "This looks pretty important. What is it?"

"The reason why I asked to see you here today," Neji said wearily, as he subconsciously rubbed his forehead. "It's the scroll given to the Hyūga clan over a century ago by the Uzumaki clan, detailing the use and inner workings of the caged bird seal."

"Are you serious?" Naruto exclaimed. He was tempted to open it up but suppressed the urge. "I thought this got lost a long time ago! Where the hell did you find it?"

"After Nezumi was arrested, I ordered a thorough search of her quarters by two branch members that I trust implicitly. A secret room was discovered, and we found that particular item…" Neji motioned his hand towards the scroll, "…along with several other Hyūga clan artifacts that were assumed lost or destroyed after Pain's attack on Konoha."

Naruto placed the scroll back in the box and closed the lid, securing the latch tightly. "So this explains how she could teach anyone who wasn't a Hyūga how to activate the caged bird seal."

"Yes," Neji nodded sedately, "I thought it should be given to the person who might benefit from it the most. Hikaru will put this to good use… and find a safe, viable solution much quicker than anyone else. Plus," he added wryly, "he'll have plenty of time to work on it, since you just told me for the next six months you're confining him to quarters, so to speak."

"Hn," Naruto responded, sounding very Sasuke-like. A knock on the door interrupted them both, prompting Neji to lower the privacy seals.

"Come in," Neji said.

The door opened and a man who appeared to be about forty years old or so entered the office, followed closely by an ANBU wearing a tiger mask.

"Lord Neji, this ANBU appeared a few minutes ago at the front gate of the compound. He requested to see the Hokage immediately."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Tiger walked a few steps into the office and dropped to one knee. "I apologize for intruding Lord Hokage, but Shino Aburame needs you back in your office, and he told us to have you use the Hiraishin jutsu to get there. He received a message that requires your immediate attention."

Naruto's somewhat casual demeanor vanished. He stood up and tucked the wooden box containing the scroll underneath his arm.

"Sorry to cut this conversation short Neji," he inclined his head in apology, "but duty calls. I'll make sure this gets to the proper place."

And in a flash of yellow light, Naruto was gone.

* * *

When he reappeared in his office, Shino was holding a scroll, waiting for him. Naruto couldn't see his face, but his posture definitely spoke volumes, which was unusual for an Aburame. They were normally a closed book.

"Okay Shino, what's so urgent that you needed me back in my office?"

Shino pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and extended the scroll. "We received this by messenger hawk from Kusagakure."

Naruto's eyebrows rose skyward. "So soon? There's no way Sakura and the others could have gotten there that quickly. They've only been gone twenty four hours."

Shino shook his head. "No… they received our message, but they're wondering what we're talking about. They don't have a pandemic going on in the village."

"What?"

"Take a look for yourself," Shino said with a hint of unease. "Nobody's been poisoned. The only medical issues they have in the village currently are a baby with colic, three seniors with gout and one chūnin who was injured on a recent mission."

"That can't be right!" Naruto exclaimed, unrolling the scroll and scanning the message. "Why would they lie about something like that? Did they question the council member who wrote the message? What's his name, Rinji?"

"According to them, Rinji has been missing for at least five days." Shino sweatdropped. Naruto's anxiety was turning him into a ticking time bomb, if the rising amount of chakra pressure in the room was anything to go by. "Nobody has thought to look for him, or been concerned since he's a known drunkard, who will disappear for several days at a time. He's also not very well liked, apparently."

"Then there's no way he could have written that message, since we just got it yesterday," Naruto said stiffly. "Which means the message was a fake."

"That's correct, Naruto." Shino nodded in agreement. "And it's the reason why I called you back here so quickly."

"But none of this makes any sense!" Naruto slammed his hand angrily down on the desk. It was a testament to Shino's self-control that he didn't flinch, even slightly. "Whoever's behind this, what could they possibly hope to gain by faking a message? I mean, all they asked for was medical…"

There was a pregnant pause. The two men stared at each other… Naruto grew wide-eyed as the endpoint of the argument finally dawned on him, while Shino braced himself for the shitstorm he knew was about to happen.

"Tsunade," Naruto breathed, "They asked us to send Tsunade. They wanted her out of the village."

His face paled. He'd sent Sakura on that mission instead.

Her entire team was walking straight into a trap.

* * *

A/N: And that's all, folks!

Now, once again I'd like to apologize for the lack of a lemon in the chapter. But I think it turned out pretty good besides. And there'll be plenty of lemons to go around in my other collaboration story, X-Rank Missions. Plus, like I said in the author's note at the start of this chapter, Matt and I have 3 more chapters pretty much done over there. So there'll be more than enough smut to go around.

Now this is normally the part where I tell you what's coming next but this time… I'm not telling! So there! Nyah!

Alright, Alright… I'll tell you that a lot of it has to do with Sakura. And it isn't pretty. But I'll be pulling a major plot twist on you guys that I guarantee you won't be expecting. You'll just have to wait and see what it is, though. Boo-yah!

**_Recommendation time!_** I'm finding it hard to recommend stories nowadays. Not because there aren't some great ones out there, but I always try and give some help to ones that aren't that well recognized and need a push. That's come back to bite me in the ass a few times, too. With Naruto manga ending, and Gaiden finished up it seems like most of the authors on this site just aren't interested in finishing their stories.

But I'm gonna try one more time.

The story is called **Hinata: Sweetheart of the Allied Nations by xHinaLovex**. Hinata leaves Konoha for two years to find her own strength, and sort through her feelings for a certain blond knucklehead. This also leaves Naruto to ponder where Hinata fits into his life. The story only has 7 chapters but the author has continued to update – even going so far as to promise me that she'll finish the story – and I'm eager to see how it plays out. The writing is super good and the plot, while simple is still great to read.

So get on over and read it! And leave a review when you do – I'm sure the author would appreciate it!

Here's the link, as usual remove the spaces and you know what to replace the stars with:

www . fanfiction . ***/ s / 10153531

**REVIEWS!** Once again you all stepped up and I couldn't be happier about it. I pulled another one hundred and twenty-nine reviews for chapter 31 and I'm ridiculously close to 2,000 reviews. Honestly, there are very few Naruto stories on this site that reach that level and I'm humbled that I'm so close.

You guys can make my day by pushing me over that magical number. Let's see those reviews! And as I always say the reviews help keep me moving, even when I hit the brick wall known as writer's block. So please, help keep my creative juices flowing and leave me one. Even if it's just something as simple as 'I loved it', words hold a lot of power when it comes to motivation.

That's all for now. Take care and stay safe.

Serious Sam


	34. Ch 33: Hammer, Anvil, or Steel

**33\. Hammer, Anvil or Steel **

**_Good friends are like stars, you don't always see them, but you know they're always there._**

Hello, my faithful readers. Sorry for the long delay on this chapter, but it's the usual excuses… life, work, etc. and while I love writing, it doesn't change the fact that the bills gotta be paid.

So, as usual I'd like to thank **Titokhan** and my anonymous beta for their continued help and support, along with **MattWilson83** for taking time out of his busy drawing schedule to chat with me on a number of occasions at the drop of a hat. You guys are the best.

This chapter is dedicated to fellow FanFiction writer, **Ayrmed** who passed away recently. Her death hit me particularly hard, because both she and my wife suffer from the same medical condition. From the earliest days of my story, she was kind enough to leave me a review and even went so far as to allow me to help her out on her own story, **Love's Never Easy.** She was a good friend, a wonderful person and I, along with many other writers here in the community will miss her very much.

No disclaimer this chapter. I just don't feel like making one. But I don't own Naruto.

On with the show.

* * *

Chapter 33 – Hammer, Anvil or Steel

"Tsunade," Naruto breathed, "They asked us to send Tsunade. They wanted her out of the village."

His face paled. He'd sent Sakura on that mission instead.

_Her entire team was walking straight into a trap._

The chakra pressure in the room skyrocketed and Shino gasped, grabbing a nearby chair for support. Otherwise, he would have collapsed to his knees.

"Think of all the tracking and recovery teams that are currently in the village," Naruto demanded, his eyes blazing red with Kurama's chakra. "I want heavy hitters over speed. Spit out a name."

Shino drew a shaky breath, and his voice came out as a hoarse croak. Right now, even standing was a major effort.

"Shino!" Naruto barked.

"T-Team Hana is in the village," Shino sputtered out. "They just got back from a mission a f-few days ago. They're the best w-we have, period."

Naruto slammed his hand down on the corner of his desk, hitting the button that summoned his ANBU guard. Half a second later they were kneeling in his office, shaking just like Shino was under the intense chakra pressure Naruto was emitting.

"Y-Yes, Lord Hokage?" the one wearing a Mongoose mask forced out.

"You… get me Kakashi." He pointed at the second one, wearing a Raccoon mask. "You get me Sasuke – he's out at Training Ground 3. And you two," he finished, pointing at the ANBU wearing Rabbit and Sparrow masks, "get me Team Hana. I don't care what any of them are doing – I want them all in my office in ten minutes. Now move!"

The ANBU nodded and quickly disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"Shino."

The Aburame eyed his classmate warily from behind his dark glasses. He hadn't seen Naruto this focused and intense since that meeting in this very same office when he first became Hokage.

"Get over to the code division and find whoever it was that verified the original message." He pointed at one of the chairs in front of his desk. "I want that person sitting there in five minutes. I've got questions I want answered before everyone else shows up."

* * *

**_***Sidestep***_**

"Now, when you cast genjutsu, it's important to remember three key things – strength, purpose and application," Hinata explained, as she drew the three words, along with several symbols on the chalkboard. "Strength is the strength of your chakra, which in turn translates into the strength of your illusion. Sometimes, it's best to be subtle in capturing your enemy in genjutsu that uses less chakra, making it harder to detect. Of course this has the downside of being less complex, and easier to break once they realize it."

Hinata turned to face the class, noticing that everyone – including Hikaru – was either taking notes or paying rapt attention to her lecture. She smiled to herself thinking maybe, after all this time she was finally good enough at classroom speaking to maintain his interest.

She pointed at the second word. "Purpose means to always consider the purpose of your genjutsu. Is it distraction? Interrogation? Capture? Basic genjutsu can be effective for simple tasks, like tricking a shinobi into walking off a cliff, or into a trap but creating a complex jutsu is difficult, and often relies on how creative you can be with your imagination. It's the finer details that make it stronger and more convincing."

Kiyomi Yamanaka raised her hand. "Excuse me sensei, but I don't get that. How can your imagination make the genjutsu stronger?"

"Simple," Hinata answered, smiling at the girl. She pointed back at the symbols written on the left hand side of the chalkboard. "These are the hand signs that you would use to perform a simple genjutsu; one that creates the illusion of being in the middle of a forest of lotus trees on a perfect summer day."

"Now, think of how much more convincing the illusion would be if you imagined birds chirping in the background, a breeze rustling through the trees, or even a couple of deer eating the grass nearby."

A chorus of "oh's" and "yeah's" answered back, as the students nodded in understanding.

Hinata began to draw a second set of symbols on the board, but then she suddenly cried out in pain as her hand spasmed reflexively and clenched, snapping the chalk in half. She felt nauseous and reached out, using her desk for support.

"Mom!" Hikaru shouted, rising out of his seat in concern. "What's wrong?"

Hinata shook her head. "I'm… I'm fine, Hikaru." She flexed her hand several times, trying to get the feeling back into it. "The… muscles in my hand cramped up for some reason."

The rest of the class looked on, wondering what just happened but Hikaru knew what she was really referring to – something from his father came through the seal on her hand. Outside of a select group of people, no one knew about it and his parents wanted to keep it that way – which meant he couldn't outright ask what it was.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes." Her brow furrowed in confusion, and she rubbed the back of her hand absently. "It just felt a little… scary, that's all. Please take your seat."

Hikaru latched onto that word – **_scary._** And he could tell his mother was concerned, which is the reason why she'd purposely said it.

He wondered what could scare someone who took on people like Pain, Madara Uchiha and Kaguya without even flinching. And he had a feeling that his mother was thinking the exact same thing.

**_***End Sidestep***_**

* * *

Kakashi arrived at the Hokage Tower by shunshin, feeling both curious and a bit irked. His girlfriend, Hanari got released from the hospital yesterday, and they were finally spending some together without doctors, nurses or Reira hanging around.

The staff always seemed to walk in at the worst possible moment when Hanari was trying to molest him in her hospital room. They made it very clear that this was not a love hotel, and that she just needed to wait until she was released.

Hanari's response to that wasn't very ladylike. In fact, her choice of words had been rather colorful, even by Kakashi's standards.

So when she finally got out, she told him there were two things she wanted to do before anything else… get a decent meal, and fuck his brains out.

Kakashi opted to get some food first, because it would definitely help with his stamina later. Later on, as he looked back on it, he realized he should have chosen the second option because halfway through the meal, the ANBU codenamed Mongoose showed up and told him that the Hokage was **_demanding_** his presence immediately.

In all the time Naruto had been Hokage, he'd never demanded anything of Kakashi. Sure, he'd forcefully asked but never demanded. And he didn't miss the tremble in Mongoose's voice, either. Whatever Naruto did or said to scare the ANBU, it had to be big – and his suspicions were confirmed when he entered the Hokage's office.

Naruto was hovering over someone from the code division, pinning him in place with an icy, penetrating stare while Shino was off to the side, doing his best to keep from being noticed. Both men had broken out in a cold sweat.

"So all of the usual security measures cleared?" Naruto asked, pressing his lips together as he glared at the nervous man in front of him.

"Y-Yes, Lord Hokage," he replied, gripping the arms of his chair hard enough to turn his knuckles white. "As I said, the handwriting matched samples we had on file, and it bore the Kusagakure seal. Both the parchment, and the seal were infused with chakra specific to Grass Ninja. It was even signed by a member of their village council!"

Naruto waved the scroll in front of his face. "Could this message have been faked, Saigo?"

"It… It would be highly doubtful, Lord Hokage." A few beads of sweat dripped down his forehead as the man shook his head. "In order to do something like that, it would take a tremendous amount of skill, planning and deception. I'll never say something is impossible, but the odds of pulling off something like that would be less than three percent."

Naruto continued to stare at the man, still clearly frustrated. Saigo basically just verified everything he was already thinking – faking something like this took a lot more skill and resources than most people had access to, and the only reason they would have gone to all this trouble was to get Tsunade out of the village. It was the only part of the message they were specific about.

Was it someone in Kusa that planned all this? That would make the most sense, because every item needed to fake the message could only be found in their village. But if that was their game, then why send a message back at all, telling him the original was a forgery?

Either way, he'd gotten everything he could from the man sitting in front of him, whose eyes were darting around like a trapped animal, looking for any avenue of escape.

"Thank you, Saigo. I appreciate you being so thorough at your job," Naruto said, his tone softer but no less frustrated. He waved his hand towards the doorway. "You can go."

Saigo nodded vigorously and scrambled towards the door, tripping over his own feet a few times in his haste to get out as fast as he could.

"Naruto," Kakashi chided him, as he watched the man disappear down the hallway, "was it really necessary to scare him like that? And why did you need to see me so suddenly? What's going on?"

"We've got a problem, Kakashi-sensei." Naruto tossed him the scroll he'd been holding. He sat down in his desk chair and began rubbing his temples worriedly. "The message you're holding is a fake."

"I gathered as much from the way you were grilling Saigo." Kakashi opened it up and started to scan the document. "It looks very convincing."

"That's why I had Saigo in my office."

"How'd you find out it was a fake?"

"Standard protocol," Naruto grunted. "When the medical assistance team left the village I sent a messenger hawk, telling Kusa they were on the way." He reached into his desk and produced another scroll. "They responded with this – asking what the hell we were talking about, because the only medical problems they have are colicky babies, seniors with gout and an injured chūnin. The guy who penned that request has been missing for six days, which means he couldn't have written it."

"So the entire medical emergency was fake, but they still used a real disease. Something only Tsunade could cure," Kakashi reasoned, narrowing his eye suspiciously. "And they made sure to ask for her specifically. That means she was probably the target all along."

"Yeah, that's exactly what I figured," Naruto snapped. "And if that's true, they'll be prepared for her, super-strength and all."

"Okay, you figured all this out without me." Kakashi rolled the scroll up and handed it back to him. "But none of this explains why you sent an obviously shaken ANBU to get me, saying you need me in your office immediately. Even if they're gunning for her, Tsunade isn't some helpless genin – she's more than capable of taking care of herself. Why not just send a quick support team to bring them back?"

"Because I didn't send Tsunade. I sent Sakura, Shizune and two chūnin instead."

Kakashi paled. "Oh, shit."

"Exactly," Naruto agreed. "Sakura hasn't been on mission since she found out she was pregnant, and she just started training again. I don't know the last time Shizune went on a mission and she's been pulling double duty at the hospital, covering for both Sakura and Tsunade. Plus, I'm thinking whoever faked that letter plans on having enough firepower to take out Tsunade, which will definitely be enough to take out Sakura and Shizune. I mean, if they were in prime condition I wouldn't be worried so much, but with everything that's been going on over the past year…" He paused for a moment, adding up the sum of Sakura and Shizune's current battle abilities. "Unless you wanna tell me I'm wrong and that right now, the two of them combined are equal to or better than their teacher."

Kakashi mulled that over for a few seconds. "No," he answered, shaking his head. "They're close, but Tsunade still has Sakura beat in battle experience. Shizune is capable, but she doesn't have Tsunade or Sakura's strength. She's always been more focused on _assisting_ Tsunade, which is why she's rarely been in battle. Even in the fourth shinobi war she was a medic, not a fighter."

"And that's the reason why I demanded to see you so quick." Naruto drummed his fingers on his desk in agitation. Something else was bothering him – he wasn't sure what it was exactly, but the feeling definitely wasn't good. "I need you to run the ANBU while Sasuke is out of the village."

"Sasuke?" Kakashi asked in surprise. "You're planning on sending him with the recovery team?"

"He's gonna find out one way or another and when he does, do you think you can stop him from going?"

Another pause. Even though he couldn't see it, Naruto could sense Kakashi frowning behind his mask.

"Point taken. Other than you, I don't think anyone could stop Sasuke."

"Stop me from what?"

The two of them turned and saw Sasuke standing in the doorway and for people like Naruto and Kakashi, who were both pretty good at reading body language, they could tell Sasuke was uneasy and slightly on edge. Both men sensed this could turn ugly, very quickly.

Behind him was Team Hana, composed of Hana Inuzuka, Asami Hyūga and Kaya Aburame. They reminded him very much of Team Kurenai, with a few notable personality exceptions. The main ones being Kaya was a little more outgoing than Shino, Asami was like Neji BEFORE Naruto kicked his ass at the chūnin exams and Hana was more like her mother, Tsume than Kiba.

Hana was a leader that both commanded, as well as earned other people's respect. Her team was forged by countless missions and hardened through battle.

_And for what I need, they're absolutely perfect, Naruto thought to himself._

"All of you, get in here." He pointed to the spot right next to where Kakashi was sitting. "Last one through the door, close it behind you."

Sasuke stepped forward first, followed by Hana and her team. Naruto activated the privacy seals in the room once the door was closed.

"What's going on, Naruto?" Sasuke demanded, moving closer to the desk. "What were you just talking about? Stop me from what?"

_Kami, sometimes I hate my fucking job._ Naruto grimaced, and looked Sasuke dead in the eyes. "From going after Sakura and her team. We just found out that the message from Kusagakure asking for medical assistance was a fake."

The chakra pressure in the room spiked, and the tomoe in Sasuke's Sharingan eyes began to spin. A corrosive, dark purple aura surrounded the Uchiha, flaring at various points as he fought to keep his emotions under control. Feelings of anger, guilt and regret began to permeate the air, causing the face of everyone there but Naruto and Kakashi to turn pale. The members of Team Hana shivered as their skin began to crawl from the corrosive chakra leaking into the room.

Kakashi didn't flinch, but decided he was too close to the epicenter of this potential disaster. He remembered very vividly the aftermath of the last fight he saw between the two men – not that he thought this would escalate to that level but still, he felt some distance would be good. So he casually got up and moved several feet away to sit on the couch.

"Lower the seals." Sasuke demanded, clenching his fists.

"Hold on a minute. I need to…"

"I said **_lower the fucking seals, Naruto!"_** Sasuke slammed his fist down, shattering a large chunk of the front of the desk. **_"I'm going after her!"_**

Kakashi shielded his face from the debris with his arms, while Team Hana walked over to join Shino in the far corner of the office. They were a highly skilled, elite jōnin team but all of them knew better than to deal with an angry Uchiha.

Naruto slammed his own fist down, breaking the rest of his desk in half. "Get a grip, Sasuke!" he yelled angrily, stepping forward and grabbing his shirt, jerking him close to that their faces were only inches from each other. "I'll let you go after her, but there are things you need to take care of before you run out of the village!"

Sasuke angrily shoved him away. "Like what?" he spat through clenched teeth.

"Like your daughter, idiot! Someone needs to take care of her…"

At the mention of Mikomi, Sasuke's look softened and the aura around his body receded a bit. "Ino's been helping me out. She can just keep doing it while I'm gone."

"Damn it, don't just _assume_ she'll fucking do it!" Naruto jabbed an admonishing finger into Sasuke's chest. "While you're out there I want you focused, not worrying every five minutes about who's taking care of Mikomi because Ino had other plans. She'll probably do it, but don't demand a fucking thing! Get over there and ask her nicely. Once she says yes, pack a mission bag and meet Hana and the rest of her team at the front gate in thirty minutes. I'm having Kakashi fill in for you as head of the ANBU, so that's one less thing you have to worry about."

Naruto turned his attention to Hana, who was still huddled with her team and Shino on the far side of the room. "You're in charge of this mission, Hana. Sasuke has to follow your orders, but you also need to listen to him. Remember the reason why he's going with you – and what you'd do if you were in the same situation."

She inclined her head. "Understood, Lord Hokage."

"Good." He flipped over the right side of his desk, exposing the part that raised and lowered the privacy seals. "Like I said – pack your mission bags and meet at the front gate in thirty minutes. Catch up to Sakura and her team as fast as possible, then escort them back to Konoha. If anyone attacks you, deal with them – but I want at least one of them brought back alive for interrogation. I wanna know who the fuck is behind all of this. Understand?"

They all nodded. Satisfied, Naruto lowered the seals and gestured towards the door. "Then get going. And good luck."

Hana and her team left without a word, followed closely by Shino. As they all walked out the door Sasuke spared one last scathing glance at Naruto before using the shunshin, disappearing in a swirl of leaves.

Kakashi and Naruto stared at the empty spot. They were concerned about Sasuke, but Kakashi was worried for his student, while Naruto was worried for his brother.

"That actually went better than I expected," Kakashi noted dryly, glancing around the room. "Most of the office is still intact."

"Yeah. You know, I'm beginning to understand why Tsunade put a stipend for new desks in the annual budget." He stepped over the shattered pile of lumber and steel and collapsed in his chair. "It's a real shame. I liked that desk." He'd never tell Kakashi the reason why, which was because of that day Hinata surprised him with **'lunch'** in his office. "But I'm glad that's the only casualty."

Kakashi grunted in agreement. "I hate to say it Naruto, but… I've got one of my hunches about this whole thing. And it isn't good."

The Hokage of Konoha heaved a heavy sigh, and then buried his face in his hands. "So do I, Kakashi-sensei. And I pray to Kami that we're both wrong about that."

* * *

The man sitting on the stone bench closed his eyes and leaned his head back, letting the rays of the late afternoon sun wash over his face.

"I knew this wasn't going to be easy," Hiashi Hyūga murmured to himself. He took a deep breath and sighed heavily. "But this is much harder than I thought it would be."

"This was your sanctuary." He smiled as his gaze wandered around the private garden, set deep inside the Hyūga compound. His eyes settled on a patch of sunflowers, off to one side of a small lilac tree. "You loved everything here, but those were always your favorite. And when I look around, and see the color and life that surrounds me, I can't help but think that a part of you still remains here."

"I'm… sorry I haven't come here more often. And that it's been so long since I've talked to you," he said, hanging his head in shame. A cloud passed in front of the sun, casting a grey shroud over everything. He turned his head to stare at the empty seat next to him. "I still miss you." He reached out, caressing the spot almost lovingly. "And it's hard for me to say, but the reason why I avoid this place is because it reminds me of what I've lost."

"But I need your advice and counsel." Hiashi clutched the robes over his chest, like a sharp pain was stabbing at his heart. "Our daughters… they still care about me and love me, even though I've given them no reason to. They want me to be happy again – to be like I was before fate so cruelly took you away from me."

He stared at the pad of paper in his lap. The list given to him was lying on top, with all twenty two items laid out in perfect penmanship. For the last hour, he'd been trying to write one single name, but all he'd managed was the letter "M", and nothing more.

"You know what they've asked of me, and you know their reasons why. I want to be a better father, to both our children and our grandchildren. And I want to be a better person as well." He swallowed the lump that was forming in his throat. "They only want what's best for me; I know they do but the thought of finding someone else… it feels like I'm discarding what we had. Like I'm betraying the love I had – still have – for you."

A light wind blew through the garden, causing the flowers to sway a bit and the leaves in the lilac tree to rustle. The overcast sky made the breeze colder than it normally would have been and Hiashi shivered as it passed over his exposed arms and neck.

"I'm torn between the two paths before me," he admitted sadly, "and I don't know what to do."

And then a sunbeam broke through the clouds, hitting the spot on the stone bench next to him. Hiashi stared at it in surprise, watching as it slowly moved towards his chest and settled there, warming his heart. A moment later the clouds dissipated and the entire garden was bathed in sunlight once again.

Hiashi smiled slightly, grateful for what he just experienced. "Thank you, Hitomiko," he muttered under his breath. "Thank you so much."

"Hiashi-sama? Did you say something?"

He turned and noticed his longtime assistant, Kō standing in the entryway to the garden.

"No, I was merely… talking to myself. Nothing to be concerned with." Hiashi cocked an eyebrow. "Although, I'm curious as to why you're here, since this is my family's private garden."

Kō inclined his head. "My apologies, Hiashi-sama. Lord Neji has asked if you could meet with him in an hour. Several tentative trade agreements were delivered today from the Land of Tea, and he would like your advice, seeing as how you were the one who initiated the proposals while you were head of the clan."

_Very shrewd, Neji. By asking for my advice you're showing the elders, as well as the council that my input is still important and that it will remain business as usual within the clan. "I will be available, yes."_

"Thank you. I'll inform Lord Neji." Kō turned to leave and then paused, thinking something was definitely off about this entire scene. "Hiashi-sama, forgive me for asking but it's been some time since I've seen you alone, in this garden. Is… everything okay?"

Hiashi gave a short laugh. Other than his daughters, only Kō could deduce something like that since he'd known Hiashi for many years, and knew his moods and mannerisms well. A thought suddenly occurred to him that maybe Kō knew him well enough to… _assist_ him with his problem, as well as keep it a secret.

"I'm… fine, Kō. But actually, there **IS** something I could use your help with." He gestured towards the empty spot next to him. "Please, have a seat."

Kō eyed him skeptically. When Lady Hitomiko had died all those years ago Hiashi became very reclusive, insensitive and emotionally detached to everyone and everything around him, but the invitation he'd just extended had actually been cordial. This was a side of Hiashi that he hadn't seen in quite a long time, and with it being so out of character, Kō jokingly wondered if this might in fact be a clone, grown in a lab somewhere rather than the real thing.

"I had a meeting with all three of my daughters a few days ago." He smiled to himself as Kō's eyes widened briefly in surprise at the subtle comment – that he considered Tenten to be as much of a daughter to him as Hinata and Hanabi. "It seems they've discovered the reason why I've been spending so much time with them lately – to be a better father to them, which in turn would make me a better grandfather to their children."

"They have banded together, and decided as a group to allow me to be a bigger part of my grandchildren's lives. However, they have all made a singular request which for me, would be a rather drastic change. They want me to find someone to share my life with once again."

Kō blinked a few times in confusion. "Umm… I'm not sure I heard you correctly, Hiashi-sama." The conversation just stepped past surprising, and moved into the realm of the strange and bizarre. "It sounded like your daughters want you to start dating again, hoping that you'll get remarried."

"You didn't mishear me, Kō. But that's not even the extent of it." Hiashi almost groaned, handing him the list. "They also gave me this – as a guide, to help me find someone with what they believe are the right qualities."

Kō took the piece of paper. "This is quite a list. It takes up almost the entire sheet."

"I'm well aware of that, yes."

Kō briefly ticked off the items. "Confirmed shopaholic who loves showering her family with gifts? A woman with a healthy sexual appetite who's kinky, but not sadistic? Has to know how to make cinnamon rolls, including the icing?" He pursed his lips disapprovingly. "No disrespect intended Hiashi-sama, but what child in their right mind would give their parent a list like this?"

"Their current conditions are more than likely influencing their decision making processes," Hiashi deadpanned, "and it's causing them to overcompensate with some of their choices. I believe they're trying too hard to push me out of my comfort zone, and well… the list certainly speaks for itself."

Kō snorted. "It still doesn't change the fact that they're being totally unrealistic. Not that I'll ever tell them that." He pointed disbelievingly at the document. "And you're seriously considering this?"

Hiashi hesitated, glancing once again at the document. He knew that once he admitted it to someone other than himself, there was no turning back. "Hinata, Hanabi and Tenten… they were all correct in pointing out that my downward spiral started when Hitomiko died. And if I'm truly interested in changing my ways, I need to find what's been missing." He chuckled wryly. "Plus, I promised them I would make the effort. And I may be many things, but I am a Hyūga first and foremost – and we always honor our word."

Kō glanced between Hiashi and the piece of paper several times. "So then, you… just said you wanted my help. Is it for this?" he asked, waving the list around.

"It is, yes."

"Do they have to have all the qualities listed here? Because to be honest, some of these would push even MY sensibilities to the breaking point."

Hiashi shook his head. "Thankfully, no," he said, breathing a sigh of relief. "They all agreed that my happiness is more important than their suggestions. But I would still like to include as many items as I can if possible, in order to placate my daughters."

Kō let all of that sink in. A number of things had come together, making this a truly surreal moment. Considering Tenten to be as much of a daughter as Hinata and Hanabi was definitely surprising, but the biggest shock was Hiashi finally moving on from Hitomiko's death and seriously looking for someone to share the rest of his life with.

After everything they had been through together, and the sacrifices Kō had made for his family, he was honored that Hiashi had asked for his help. He took the pen and pad of paper, noticing the "M" written on the sheet. For a brief moment, he wondered who Hiashi had been thinking of when he wrote the letter, but he pushed the thought aside and scribbled it out.

"Well, then… personality characteristics are all well and good, but I think we should start with the basics."

"Basics?" Hiashi blinked in confusion.

"Yes, basics." He placed the point of the pen at the top of the paper and smiled. "What color hair do you like? Blondes, brunettes, redheads or… other?"

* * *

Just as the sun began to set over Konoha, Naruto left his office. Between the tidal wave of bad news he'd received today, and the stress from worrying about both Sasuke and Sakura's team, he decided he'd had enough for one day. He took care of all the pressing matters and emergencies, and pushed everything – including a massive stack of paperwork – off until tomorrow.

He briefly thought about hitting one of the local bars, since other than training he'd found it to be the best way to relieve some stress, but figured that might be the wrong move for three reasons. First, Hinata might not approve of him coming home drunk. He couldn't recall if she'd ever seen him that way – most of his really bad episodes occurred after he'd left the village, and once he got married he decided not to drink that heavy anymore. Second, he could get just as drunk at home if he wanted and finally, all he wanted to do right now was spend some time with his family, especially Hinata. He really needed someone to talk to, and he promised she'd be the one he came to first – as long as the subject wasn't classified.

Although, he couldn't help but wonder how this particular topic would be received. Anything dealing with Sakura wasn't his family's favorite subject right now.

As he walked into his house, he could hear Hinata in the kitchen, probably cleaning up the dinner dishes. Hopefully, she'd saved a plate of food for him. He had no problems going to Ichiraku if he needed to but given the choice, he much preferred her cooking.

He peered into the kitchen, and saw her not only cleaning the dinner dishes, but also the countertops and floors. Naruto remembered reading that all pregnant women go through this – something called a 'nesting phase' – where every surface had to be impeccably clean. But a plateful of food was still on the kitchen table, waiting for him.

He leaned against the door frame while he stared at his wife's figure. He couldn't help but think how incredibly beautiful she was, even though it looked like she was hiding a small watermelon underneath her shirt… which was only natural, considering she was carrying twins. But she'd probably look sexy no matter what – even when she was old and gray.

Naruto smiled and shook his head. It still baffled him how someone like Hinata could ever love someone like him. He'd never really asked, but it was a surefire bet she'd probably had a ton of boys interested in her when they were younger, along with several arranged marriage proposals from nobles and lords, who held quite a bit more political power than he did. Men that were classier, richer and definitely more refined than he'd ever be.

And in spite of all that, she chose him. And waited for him. And took care of his son.

It was a debt he'd never be able to repay. But then the thought of what might have happened to Sakura and Shizune flashed through his mind, and he came back down from his euphoric high.

"Hey, Hinata…."

She dropped the plate she'd been washing in the sink and whirled around, getting into the Gentle Fist stance.

"Whoa!" He took a step back, holding his hands up in mock surrender. "I give, I give! Take me, but please don't hurt my family!"

The fierce look on her face quickly vanished. "I believe I'll take you up on that offer, Naruto-kun," she deadpanned, giving him a sly smile as she hugged him warmly, "because I'm never, ever letting you go. But I'd like to know if you're okay."

"Uhh, yeah Hinata. I'm okay," he replied awkwardly, hugging her back before pulling her arms from around his neck. "Why do you ask?"

It was then that he noticed the bandage wrapped around her right hand. "What happened?" he asked, holding it gingerly and examining it. "Did you accidentally burn yourself while cooking dinner?"

Hinata shook her head. "No, it's just… the seal hurt me today, and it's been a little tender and sensitive since then. It happened sometime around one o'clock, while I was teaching Hikaru's class. If I hadn't shut it down, it might have been worse."

Naruto blanched. That was during the meeting in his office with Sasuke, and his emotions were certainly running high at that point. "I'm sorry about that, Hime. I didn't mean to hurt you, things just got a little out of control during a mission briefing. I promise I'll be more careful in the future."

She eyed him curiously, then guided him over to the table and forced him to sit down in front of his dinner. "That was an awfully powerful surge of emotions, Naruto-kun." She gestured towards the plate, indicating he should start eating. "What happened, exactly?"

He sighed, picking up his chopsticks and bringing a few bites into his mouth. It was something called 'drowned beef', and like everything else Hinata cooked for him, it was absolutely delicious. "One of the missions I sent a team out on yesterday took a serious twist," Naruto mumbled around a mouthful of food. "They might be in danger."

"That's happened several times since you've been Hokage, and it doesn't explain why my hand felt like it was being stabbed by half a dozen poison senbon," she commented flatly. "What's different about this one compared to the others?"

Another chopstick full of meat and peppers was halfway to Naruto's mouth when she asked the question, causing him to stop and place them back on his plate. "Yesterday, the village received a message from Kusagakure, saying an enemy shinobi poisoned part of their water supply and two dozen people got sick – including ten children. The disease was something supposedly so rare that no one in their village could cure it, so they asked for Tsunade's assistance."

"None of what you said so far is out of the ordinary, Naruto-kun."

He pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. The headache he'd had for most of the day was starting to flare back up. "That's because I found out today that the message was a very convincing fake. The handwriting samples, chakra and seal all matched one of the members of the Kusagakure council. I sent a reply, telling them help was on the way but they sent another message back, saying that there were only a few people in the village that were sick, but nothing they couldn't handle. Plus, the guy who wrote the original message – Rinji was his name – has been missing for six days, so there's no way he's the one who sent it. More than likely, whoever it was used him to forge the message and killed him afterwards to cover their tracks."

Hinata listened as her husband worriedly explained the situation. When he paused, she placed her hand comfortingly over his and tried to offer some words of support. "I understand your concern but despite her age, Lady Tsunade is more than capable of taking care of herself. And I'm sure you didn't send her on this mission alone."

Naruto closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair, sighing wearily. "That's where you're wrong, Hinata. I didn't send Tsunade on the mission at all. Her chakra control is still screwed up from our fight so I sent Sakura, Shizune and two chūnin instead."

The emotion vanished from her face but she didn't withdraw her hand. "Oh," she said simply. "But Sakura is still a capable fighter Naruto-kun, and the chūnin you sent with her and Shizune more than likely have quite a bit of experience. Don't you think they'll be able to handle themselves?"

He was surprised when the only thing that happened when he mentioned Sakura's name was Hinata's face going blank. There was still some bad blood between them, sure… but maybe just like him, Hinata was starting to realize Sakura was trying to make things right between them.

"That's the thing, Hinata. I'm betting whoever faked that letter must've been pretty confident that they could capture or kill Tsunade, which means it'll be enough to do the same with Sakura and Shizune. Unless you wanna tell me that right now, Sakura and Shizune combined are equal or better than Tsunade in a fight."

Hinata stared vacantly at him as she thought about it, then shook her head. "I can't say for sure. Neither of them are in peak condition, but that doesn't mean they're helpless." She suddenly scrunched her face. "This entire thing sounds way too suspicious, Naruto-kun. Lady Tsunade is well respected and loved, not just here but in the rest of the elemental nations. Assuming for the moment that you're right and not being overly paranoid, the amount of planning, skill and resources that would be needed to pull this off can't be coincidental. What about those other members of the Mienai Segi? Could they be behind this?"

His eyes went wide in surprise. Sometimes he forgot how smart his wife truly was. "I never considered that, but I probably should've."

"Well, maybe this will teach you a lesson about talking to me more often."

"Alright," he groused, "point taken. Maybe I should make you one of my advisors when you're done teaching at the academy."

"I doubt you could afford me," Hinata teased, the corner of her lips twitching. "I'm the Lady Hokage and Matriarch of both the Uzumaki and Namikaze clans. My advice doesn't come cheap."

"Okay, fine. You win the argument," Naruto conceded, "but let's stop talking about what an idiot I am and get back on topic. Tsunade sounds like someone Gideon would want to get his hands on, but Sakura and Shizune… he'd kill them without a second thought. He has a tendency to do that when he doesn't get exactly what he wants." He groaned, and buried his head in his hands. "I just hope to Kami I'm wrong about this feeling I've got."

"I hope so too. While Sakura and I might have our differences, I wouldn't want to see her injured or killed."

_Injured or killed…_ The words stung, because he remembered what Hikaru had done several days ago. "Speaking of which… where is our son?"

Hinata shot him a curious sideways glance. "He's upstairs in his room, doing his homework. Why?"

"Neji gave me something for him today." He reached into his coat and pulled out the ornate wooden box. "This was found in Nezumi's room," he said, opening the lid. "It's the scroll given to the Hyūga by the Uzumaki clan, spelling out every little detail of the caged bird seal."

She looked at the weathered and yellowed scroll in wonder; extending her hand hesitantly towards it. Her fingertips stopped about three inches away and she pulled back, almost like she was afraid to touch it. "Neji just gave this to you?"

"Loaned is more like it. He wants Hikaru to start working on a safer way to remove the seal, along with a replacement. He thought this would make it a lot easier to do." Naruto closed the box and tucked it under his arm. "I'm gonna go give this to him and then if you don't mind, I'd like to turn in early. With everything that happened today, I just… really feel like just having you close tonight."

Hinata watched his back as he left the room and trudged toward the stairs, leaving a half-finished plate of food on the table – which very rarely happened. And she hoped that later on tonight, she could help him ease the weight on his shoulders because her husband was finally making progress in opening up to her.

She loved him, deeply and forever – but she'd give anything to have the old Naruto back.

* * *

"Sasuke!"

Still running, with his eyes blazing red, he turned his head and glared back over his shoulder. Night had fallen about an hour ago, and the crescent moon hanging in the sky was giving off very little light, but for someone who possessed the Sharingan that meant nothing. He could see clear as day Hana Inuzuka and the triplets about twenty yards behind him. Her teammates, Asami Hyūga and Kaya Aburame were even farther behind.

He slowed his rapid pace and stopped, waiting for Hana and her dogs to catch up to him. "Is there a problem?"

"Right now you're my problem," Hana growled as she pointed towards Asami and Kaya, who were struggling to keep up. "We've been pushing for hours without a break because YOU refuse to slow down or even stop. My team needs food and rest."

Sasuke glanced at Kaya and Asami, who just caught up with them. They were both breathing heavily and looked like they were about ready to collapse. Apparently, they didn't have the same level of stamina either he, Hana or her dogs had. "That's not an option we have right now."

"It's not an option but a necessity," Hana said matter-of-factly. "None of us are going to be in any condition to fight if we keep this up and besides that, me and Kaya can't see in the dark. Travelling for us is potentially dangerous, especially if there's an enemy out there waiting for us. We need to stop – probably for the night."

Kaya opened her mission pack and began distributing food. Asami took large, but rather delicate bites of her energy bar while the hounds tore ravenously into the slabs of meat tossed at them. Hana split a loaf of bread and cheese with Kaya then extended the bag towards Sasuke, giving him his choice of whatever was left over.

Sasuke's eyes whirled in agitation as he roughly pushed the mission pack aside. "And every minute we waste could end up being catastrophic to my wife and her team." The muscles in his jaw flexed as he ground his teeth, angry over the cavalier attitude being displayed in front of him. "All I see right now is a team more interested in stuffing their faces, rather than potentially saving lives."

The chill in the night air grew heavier as Kaya and Asami stared coldly at him, while Hana's hounds growled dangerously over the insult just leveled at both them and their pack. Hana held up her hand, silencing them and telling her team to remain calm before stepping close to Sasuke and placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Look Sasuke, I get why this is important to you," she said soothingly, "I really do. But you gotta realize that comments like that don't help. All of us are concerned about Sakura and her team – but if Kaya and Asami keep going, they're gonna collapse from exhaustion and it'll only make matters worse. So unless you know of a way to keep moving while we all get some rest, then you just need to wait at least an hour before we get going again."

She walked over and sat on the ground, eating with her team in silence. Sasuke watched them with a small hint of jealousy, thinking that could've been him, Sakura and Naruto if things hadn't gotten so fucked up. The whole downward spiral started when he'd left the village, and things got even worse after the war. It wasn't until Naruto came back to the village that he'd even thought about being less of an asshole to everyone, including his own wife.

He was acting like his old self – and that's not what he wanted. He had been wrong to use those words with Hana and her team, and accuse them of not caring but he was bound and determined to get to Sakura as quick as possible. Asami and Kaya needed rest, but he needed to keep moving so unless someone carried them, he was stuck waiting.

_Unless someone carried them…_

His gaze settled on the only other dōjutsu user in the group. "Asami – I realize you are physically exhausted, but I would like to ask you a question. Are your chakra levels high enough so that you could activate your Byakugan for a few hours straight?"

_Damn it Sasuke,_ Hana thought as she ground her teeth in frustration, _I just said my team needed some rest and not one word got through that thick fucking Uchiha skull of yours._ She opened her mouth to say if he was that eager to keep going, he could just leave on his own, but Asami spoke up first.

"As long as I don't have to run and use my Byakugan at the same time, I believe so. Why?"

"Because I may have a solution to our problem. However, what I'm about to do utilizes a large portion of my chakra, so I'll need you to guide us through dark, since my concentration will be elsewhere."

The three women stared at each other for a moment, before Kaya cocked a curious eyebrow. "May I ask what jutsu you are referring to, Uchiha-san?"

"Hana," Sasuke drawled, ignoring her question as his eyes settled into a kaleidoscope pattern, "please keep your ninken under control." He took several steps back from the group, putting some distance between them. "I wouldn't want them to get hurt if they mistakenly attack me. I've already put them on edge enough as it is."

Hana signaled her dogs to remain calm, while she and her team wondered what he could possibly be planning. But then Kaya's question was answered when a purple aura erupted around Sasuke, growing rapidly to about fifty feet in height within a matter of a few seconds. A skeleton formed, but with one significant difference – it had four arms, not two. Armor appeared, covering the entire thing and two blinding yellow orbs stared at the group from underneath the helmet.

"Susanoo…" Hana breathed, while Kaya and Asami merely stared wordlessly at the sight. The fully realized form of the technique was definitely impressive, as well as intimidating and it showed how large of a power gap there was between Sasuke and her team. If they'd been stupid enough to attack him after he made that insulting comment, Hana knew they would have lost. Badly.

The purple apparition bent down, extending all four arms – one each toward Asami, Kaya, Hana and finally her ninken. Everyone eyed both Sasuke and the proffered glowing purple hands guardedly, since they seemed more dangerous than safe.

"Climb on," Sasuke motioned with his arm from where he was floating in the middle of Susanoo's chest. "My chakra will keep you in place. You have my word that you won't be injured or fall off."

Kaya and Asami looked towards their team leader who, after debating it for a few seconds gave a quick nod of approval. They all stepped into the palms waiting in front of them, surprised as they remained steady while the hands rose up to the same level as Sasuke.

"You should all be able to eat and get some rest while I cover the last remaining distance for us by air." Two wings appeared on Susanoo's back and unfurled, surprising the members of Team Hana even more as they gaped in awe at the versatility of the technique. "Asami, please use your Byakugan to keep us going in the right direction. We're going to be moving fast, and even the slightest mistake will place us miles off-course."

With a strong push of its wings the glowing purple form of Susanoo pushed off the ground, flying rapidly in the last direction they had been traveling. And Sasuke hoped that when they found Sakura and her team, it wouldn't be too late.

* * *

Kakashi opened the door to his apartment, exhausted both mentally and physically from the day's events. After packing his mission bag and talking to Ino, Sasuke had left the village in an obvious rush, not bothering to debrief him on everything the ANBU were involved in. So he'd spent most of the afternoon bringing himself up to speed, then he'd made adjustments to the village security and several black-ops missions based near Kusagakure after discussing it with Naruto and Shino.

He'd spent a few hours between bouts of panic and worry thinking about Team Seven. Not only the one he'd been in charge of with Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura but the one he'd been on with Minato, Obito and Rin. Each had their own set of problems, but at least everyone on **HIS** team was still alive. Or at least he hoped so.

Right now, all he wanted was a beer and a good night's sleep. He opened the refrigerator, noting that he was down to his last bottle which was odd, since he could've sworn he just bought a six-pack two days ago.

He popped the cap and threw it on the counter before taking a long, hard drink. Now that he'd satisfied the first and only requirement, he walked down the hall towards his bedroom and opened the door.

"Well, well, well… I was beginning to think you'd never show up."

Ah. That's right. He'd forgotten how his day was originally supposed to end.

Hanari was lying on one side of his bed, wearing a fiery red kimono tied very loosely in the front, showing a healthy amount of cleavage and leaving very little to the imagination. Her legs were seductively crossed, so that the area where the kimono ended was covered in nothing but shadow. Her lips were painted the same shade of red as her kimono, and she was sucking on a bottle of beer, running her tongue around the rim after taking a long, hard drink.

Kakashi looked over and saw three empty bottles on his nightstand. _So that's where the rest of my six-pack went._

"Hanari, I want you to know I appreciate what you're trying to do here. And under normal circumstances, I'd jump at the chance to have sex with you, no pun intended but if you wouldn't mind, could we… wait one more night?"

She stopped sucking on the bottle of beer. "You're kidding, right?" she asked incredulously. "I was gonna let you do whatever you wanted to me tonight. **Whatever. You. Wanted.**" She added, emphasizing each word and the meaning behind it. "And you're seriously telling me you wanna wait?"

Kakashi sighed. He'd probably catch hell for this, but right now he didn't care. "Like I said – as much as I appreciate the offer, and everything that goes along with it, I'd still have to say yes. It's… been a very bad day." He walked over to the window and pushed it open so that he could lean on the windowsill while he sipped his beer, staring absently at the sky.

An alarm went off with Hanari. Her offer of unlimited, no holds barred sex aside his mind was definitely elsewhere, and while he didn't look that tired physically, it sounded like mentally he was about ready to collapse. She closed her kimono, tying it tightly before padding across the carpet to join him at the window, hugging him from behind.

"What the hell happened today? I was pretty pissed when the ANBU pulled you away to go see Naruto, but I get the feeling some next level shit went down."

"Not exactly," he responded, "at least not yet. It was more like… one of those days where the past comes back to haunt the present."

"Feel like talking about it? Or do you just want to let it slide?"

He smiled and squeezed her hand appreciatively. "As long as you're willing to listen. I know stuff like this tends to make you feel uncomfortable."

Her chest tightened as she flushed a little. He was right – the cutesy, emotional stuff really wasn't her strong suit. "Well, you're my boyfriend and you've listened to me go on and on about stuff. I guess it's only fair that I do the same thing for you once or twice a year."

Kakashi gave a small, dry chuckle. "Twice a year, huh? Your generosity knows no bounds."

"Hey. I'm a giver," she said mockingly. "Now what's eating you?"

He paused, taking another long sip of his beer. "Yesterday, Naruto sent a team to Kusagakure in response to a request for emergency medical aid. He found out today the message was a finely crafted forgery, and now Sakura and her team are probably in danger."

Hanari jerked her head up. "Sakura? That pink haired girl married to Sasuke?" She spun Kakashi around to face her. "Hinata and Hikaru don't say much, but rumor around town is that she's responsible for a whole lotta shit with Naruto and his family. I'm guessing she's the reason he left the village and ended up joining the Mienai Segi."

"Unfortunately, yes. I was the jōnin sensei in charge of their team – Team Seven, to be exact. Did you ever hear about the first time I met them?"

"No," she said, shaking her head. "Naruto never said anything about Konoha – other than this is where he was from."

Kakashi smirked, as the memory replayed in his head. "I was an hour or two late, as usual. I used to spend a lot of my mornings at the Memorial Stone, looking at… names." _Obito. Minato. Rin._ "When I finally walked into the classroom, Naruto set a prank for me and dropped an eraser on my head, covering me in chalk dust. He was the only one who laughed at that. Said it's what I deserved for being late."

Hanari eyed him skeptically. "He actually pranked you and laughed about it?"

"When he was younger, Naruto was the king of pranks in the village. Some of his more notable accomplishments were letting two skunks in heat loose in the Konoha Council chambers during a civilian council meeting, and infesting Koharu Utatane's desk with a small family of tarantulas." His lips twitched as he tried to hold back his laughter. "I was on a mission while that one happened. Inoichi told me her screams were heard by the entire village. The ANBU thought we were being attacked."

Hanari snorted as she imagined those two events. "That doesn't sound like the man I know. When he was with the Mienai Segi, Naruto never laughed. Not once."

"There are reasons for that." He led her over to the bed and lay down, pulling her alongside him. "And I think it's about time I filled you in on some of the backstory and history, so that you have more to go on than just rumors filled with half-truths. I'll leave some of the more personal stuff out for obvious reasons, but it'll definitely give you a better sense of why things are the way they are."

Hanari huffed in half disappointment. She would have preferred a different ending to this day other than storytime, but being here with Kakashi was still better by far than being in the hospital. "Fine. But make a shadow clone and send him out for more beer. If I'm not getting sex, I definitely want some alcohol."

* * *

"Set us down over there…" Asami pointed to a break in the forest. "There's a fire going about a mile ahead. It has to be them."

Susanoo swooped down, gliding on its wings towards the clearing. Sasuke was still floating in the center – beads of sweat dotted his forehead, and his eyes throbbed from the effort of sustaining the technique for so long. They landed a bit harder than normal, and after setting down Hana and her team, Sasuke dispelled Susanno and collapsed, breathing heavy from exhaustion.

"Can… Can you see them?" he panted.

Asami shook her head, already having cancelled her Byakugan. "No. My eyes are just as exhausted as yours. Other than the campfire, I couldn't make anything out."

Determination set in and Sasuke scowled. Digging deep into reserves he barely knew were there, he took off running towards the campsite.

"Dammit Sasuke, wait…" Hana called out, but she was too late. He'd already vanished from the clearing. She smacked her forehead in frustration and grumbled, because if there really was an enemy out there, waiting for them in the shadows of the trees, Sasuke was running straight into an ambush.

Hana quickly issued orders to her team. "Kaya, send your kikachu out to scan the area before we get there. Asami, avoid using your eyes unless we're being attacked. They're exhausted enough as it is, and I don't want you making it any worse." She turned to her hounds. "You three, spread out. Tanimaru and Kanomaru, I want you fifty feet out to the left and right, respectively. Asamaru, you're with me. We all converge on the campsite at the same time."

Kaya nodded, sending a swarm of kikachu into the air before Hana gave the signal, motioning for them to go after Sasuke. They took off, moving at a moderate pace because not only might the enemy be lying in wait for them, but also because dodging through a thick forest of trees in the dead of night was a lot harder than people thought.

After a half a mile Hana paled. "We've got a problem," she said.

"More than those we already have?" Asami asked. "We're exhausted and running blind through a dark forest in the dead of night towards an area that could be primed for ambush – all because Sasuke is bound and determined to make it to Sakura as quickly as possible. What else is there?"

Hana paused for a moment before answering. "I smell blood. Lots of it."

Kaya shot a scathing look at Asami. "You had to go and jinx it, didn't you?"

No more words passed between them, but collectively they all decided to pick up speed, trying to close the last bit of distance and make it to the campsite as soon as possible. They knew Sasuke would definitely get there before them, and if the scene was as bad as they were imagining…

After another minute or so they converged on the campsite. The campfire was scattered and failing, casting a limited amount of light on an already small area. Faint outlines of Hana and her team were all that were visible – Sakura and her team were nowhere in sight.

Tanimaru and Kanomaru emerged from the shadows to rejoin Hana and Asamaru. The hounds all shared a glance and then pointed their muzzles towards the edge of the forest. As Hana, Asami and Kaya edged closer they noticed Sasuke, sitting absolutely still with his back facing towards them. He was on his knees, staring at the ground… and he wasn't moving.

No crickets chirped, no leaves rustled and the cry of not one single animal could be heard. The crackling of the campfire and the water flowing from a nearby river were the only sounds that broke the eerie quiet of the night. Hana picked up a random piece of wood and using it as a makeshift torch, she and her team walked over to Sasuke, wondering what it was that stopped the Uchiha dead in his tracks.

But once they looked over his shoulder, they all immediately wished they hadn't.

Hana swallowed the bile that was forming in her throat. Her hounds whined and backed away. Kaya and Asami both turned green and while Kaya managed to keep it together Asami didn't fare as well. She hurriedly staggered a few paces away and fell to her knees, retching as she emptied the contents of her stomach.

The area in front of Sasuke was covered in a thick layer of human remains. There was an occasional eyeball or finger floating in the debris, but everything else looked like someone had taken two or three bodies and turned them into a fine paste, before dumping it over a large patch of earth and grass. As it stood, there was no way to tell exactly who or what the pile of flesh in front of them used to be.

"Kaya, get your kikachu back," Hana commanded, once she got her gag reflex under control. She pointed to the area in front of Sasuke. "This is too fresh, which means we either just missed them or they're out there, lying in wait for us. I wanna know if the area is secure."

The Aburame nodded, walking a few paces away from both the campfire and the gruesome scene before lifting her arms. A slight buzzing sound and a second or two later, the kikachu swarmed into the sleeves and collar of her coat, relaying whatever they managed to find out.

"We're alone," Kaya said, after taking a moment to assimilate the information. "The area for a two mile radius around us is secure. But… it's strange…" she tilted her head a bit to the side in puzzlement, "My kikachu were unable to find any trace of the enemy. It's as if they just up and… vanished."

Hana furrowed her brow. That shouldn't be possible. No matter how careful someone was, her team always found a trail to follow. It was the reason why they were the top tracking and recovery team in Konoha. It also helped that each one of them separately were among some the most powerful members in their respective clans.

The light breeze wafting through the trees suddenly changed direction, and Hana caught a whiff of something. Up until now, all she could smell was the overpowering scent of blood. She walked a few steps and took a bigger sniff, inhaling as much as she possibly could.

"I'm picking up two scents coming from that direction." She pointed west through the woods, towards the sound of the river. Sasuke perked up at hearing this, and a small glimmer of hope appeared in his weary eyes as he jumped to his feet.

"Sasuke, come with me. You two," she motioned towards Kaya and Asami, "stay here and make sure nothing disturbs the… evidence." She avoided using the word remains, since at this point it would have been like rubbing salt in an open wound.

The two of them and her dogs dashed off towards the river, Hana taking the lead and weaving in-between the trees as she followed the scent, which was steadily growing stronger. It was only a few hundred yards to the riverbank, but to both of them the time to get there seemed to stretch on for an eternity. When they finally reached the river, the scents stopped at the water's edge.

"We need to go downstream." Sasuke pointed down the riverbank. "Hana, take two of your dogs and search this side. Give me one and I'll take the other side."

Hana bristled internally at his tone but decided that given the situation, he deserved a pass right now. She glanced towards Kanomaru and motioned her head towards Sasuke, giving the unspoken command to go with him.

Kanomaru padded over to Sasuke and his eyes softened, thanking her without words for understanding. Hana turned and ran down her side of the river while Sasuke and Kanomaru jumped to the opposite bank. They ran for close to a mile, Sasuke looking with his weakened Sharingan and Kanomaru sniffing for any signs of life, but the only thing that changed besides the scenery was the river.

The sound was getting louder, and the swells were getting bigger. That meant there was a waterfall somewhere up ahead. _A big one._

A bark from Kanomaru snapped Sasuke's attention from the rushing water back to the riverbank. He looked in the direction the dog was running towards and saw a single body washed up on shore, wedged in-between a pile of rocks which luckily enough kept whoever it was from being washed away by the current. Their face was turned away but still above water, which hopefully meant they hadn't drowned.

Straining to see who it was, he pushed some extra chakra into his eyes but cried out in pain. He'd overused his eyes in maintaining Susanoo for so long, so his visual range was limited at the moment, however before he was forced to stop overexerting his eyes, he was able to identify a few details.

The body was Shizune. And the rocks next to her head were coated in blood.

He skidded to a stop and reached down, carefully turning her over and cradling her head in the crook of his arm. There was a large gash on her head, which was where the blood on the rocks obviously came from – she definitely had a concussion along with a possible brain injury. He felt her neck for a pulse and found one – the beat was slow and steady, but it was definitely there. He gently picked her up and moved her several feet away from the riverbank, setting her down on a soft patch of grass.

"Kanomaru, go get Hana and bring her here as quickly as you can," Sasuke instructed the ninken. "Shizune needs more medical attention than I can provide."

Kanomaru barked and ran off to get help, while Sasuke continued to look Shizune over to see if she had any more visible injuries. Her breathing was shallow, but steady. Other than her head wound, there were no other signs of blood and it looked like she didn't have any broken bones. But her right hand was balled tightly into a fist, as if she was holding something important and precious beyond measure…

He pried her fist open to see what was inside – and immediately wished he hadn't. His mouth turned dry, and his hand trembled slightly as he reached out and took the object from Shizune's palm.

It was Sakura's wedding ring. The Uchiha crest carved into the wedding band on either side of the diamond left no doubt it was hers.

She never took it off. It was always with her, either on her finger or a chain around her neck. Even during surgery, she kept it in her pocket underneath her scrubs, because it meant that much to her.

_There was only one reason why she would have allowed it out of her possession. Only one reason she would have given it away._

The hollow feeling in his chest ignited into a fire, fueled by anguish and rage and it moved upwards, settling behind his eyes. He squeezed them shut, not wanting to see either the ring or the world around him at this point. He threw his head back and let loose a scream of unbearable loss into the night air as he clenched his hand, digging the band into the flesh of his palm.

The scream coming from his lips changed from sorrow and loss to one of searing, mind-numbing pain. His eyes throbbed as tears of blood wept from the corners of his eyes, and his body exploded in an aura of dark, purple chakra.

Luckily enough for Hana, it made Sasuke that much easier to find in the darkness. When she and her ninken arrived barely a minute later he was on his hands and knees, groaning in agony.

"Sasuke, are… are you alright?" she asked, reaching out and grasping his shoulder lightly.

Sasuke slowly lifted his head, and stared at her with eyes that had been changed to the Rinnegan.

* * *

Gideon was seated at his desk, hidden deep within the mountains of Iwa, enjoying a rare moment of serenity. He'd spent a good portion of his day going over several intelligence reports that had just come in from Suna and Kiri, and he was allowing his mind and body to take a well-deserved break.

But then he sensed a familiar presence at the entrance to his secret base of operations, and he knew why she was here. A wicked smile appeared on his lips, since her appearance meant his night had suddenly become more interesting, and was far from over.

He opened his eyes as Nyx entered the room. Her clothing was torn in a few places, her face was bruised and she was limping on her left leg. Her eyes told him that right now, she would rather be anywhere else than standing in front of him.

_I had better be misreading that last part, Gideon fumed silently. We need Tsunade in order to have any hope of success against Konoha. If she failed to capture the Senju, I'll have no qualms about sending Nyx into the lion's den to get her._

"From your look, I gather you had to take a personal hand in the mission."

Nyx rolled her eyes. "Yes and no. We ran into some unexpected problems and had to move faster than usual."

"Problems?" Gideon cocked a curious eyebrow, motioning towards the chair in front of his desk. Her legs were trembling slightly, and he could tell it was from exhaustion, and not fear. Physical strength and stamina were never her strong suit. Couple that with her appearance, and it was obvious she came straight back to Iwa without bothering to rest. "You know I don't like ambiguous terminology, Nyx. Be more specific."

Nyx gratefully accepted his offer and sat, sighing contentedly as she sank into the cushions. She was grateful to be off of her feet after traveling so far, so fast. "For starters, we had to attack sooner than we would have liked. We wanted to wait until they fell asleep, but I sensed a really strong presence coming towards us from the east – they were moving at really high speeds, too. More than likely it was a rescue team from Konoha, which meant they found out the message we sent was a fake."

Gideon frowned. "It was a calculated risk, but one we had to accept. Nevertheless, their response was much quicker than I thought it would be."

"Knowing Gabriel, he didn't take any chances and sent two or three of his strongest teams," Nyx griped. "Fighting them **and** that med team while trying to capture our target would've been a problem, especially since you wanted this whole operation kept a secret." She wearily rubbed her forehead. "We both know that when the body count rises, more people sit up and take notice. As it is, too many people died on this one."

That statement caught his interest. "How many were lost?"

"Two from Konoha, and one of the ANBU we brought with us for support. One person from Konoha might still be alive, though. She took a pretty nasty punch from Gilgy and flew backwards, slamming her head into a bunch of rocks near the riverbank." Nyx licked her lips hungrily – almost as if she was as salivating over the memory. "You should've heard the sound. It was beautiful. Like a wet towel smacking against the pavement. Anyway, Gilgy and I decided to let her just float away. She won't remember a thing when she recovers – if she doesn't drown and survives going over the waterfall, that is."

"That's only if your assumption regarding the severity of her head wound happens to be correct," he rebuked. "And what of the bodies?"

"We did just like you told us and had Gilgy shred them using that Earth Desecration technique of his," Nyx replied. "They won't be able to tell who is who, let alone how many there even are until they do some DNA testing – and even that will take a couple of weeks. When they get the results back though, they'll think that chick we took is just as dead as everyone else, since we left a ton of DNA evidence at the scene. No one's gonna come looking for her and even if they do, they won't know where to look since I erased our tracks and scent."

Gideon nodded in satisfaction, before narrowing his eyes. "And what about our prize?" he asked in a flat, emotionless and completely unnerving tone of voice.

Nyx sweatdropped. Gideon never took bad news well. The mere mention of even the tiniest fracture in his meticulously crafted plans was usually enough to set him off – her only saving grace was his moderately decent amount of self-restraint. That still didn't mean he wouldn't go ballistic on her skinny ass if he felt like it.

"Well… that's the thing. Tsunade wasn't in the med party. It was some bitch with pink hair. But she sure as hell punched like that chick with the big tits we were sent to get." She reached up and gingerly touched her bruised skin, wincing at the pain. "I mean, I'm gonna be limping for at least a week and look what that whore did to my face! I would've carved out her heart with a rusty kunai if Gilgy hadn't stopped me…"

"Gilgamesh is usually the one who prefers violence over rational thought – especially in situations such as that," Gideon mused. "What did he say that gave you pause?"

"Basically that even if supertits wasn't there, we should still bring someone back for you to question, or torture, or whatever the hell you decided to do. Pinky was definitely the most valuable one of the bunch – compared to her, the rest were cannon fodder."

"Interesting." He pulled a file off the bookshelf and laid it out on his desk. "You said 'pink hair'. Does she look like this?"

Nyx glanced at the picture. "Yeah, that's her. Who the hell is she?"

"Tsunade's apprentice." He snapped the file shut. "She's rumored to be almost as good as her mentor in several areas, most notably medical ninjutsu. However, the main and most important difference between the two is that she lacks the Senju bloodline."

"Well, there's more. She's the one who killed the ANBU we brought along – with one punch." Nyx closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. Even just the memory of the encounter was giving her a headache. "Gilgamesh took her on after that, but she was giving the big man enough problems trying to capture her alive so I hopped into her mind, thinking I could knock her out the easy way. Problem is, not only is she very resistant to genjutsu, I found another personality lurking in her mind. A strong one."

His eyes widened slightly at this. "A split personality? That shouldn't have posed a problem for you."

"Normally, you'd be right." Nyx began pantomiming with her hands, trying to give a visual representation of her explanation. "Other personalities can develop over time, but they're almost always anchored by the primary one. They coexist, but the offshoot personality still relies on the functions of the main one to provide memories, thought processes and basic functions."

"But this one was stronger than most – it probably got created when she was young, like eight or nine years old and it was a pretty damn powerful emotional surge that did it. Now the thing has evolved into a full-blown entity. It's like her brain is…" Nyx frowned, trying to find the right word.

"Compartmentalized?" Gideon offered.

"Yeah. What you just said." Nyx sighed in relief. The conversation was actually going much better than she expected. Gideon hadn't tried to strangle her in anger even once, which was a good sign. "A second personality would just share the brain, but it's like this one decided to take over half of her brain for itself. Honestly, it could be another person if it had just had a body of its own."

"Ah. Now that's an interesting and intriguing comment…" Gideon leaned back in his chair and tapped his chin thoughtfully. "I wonder… would she be the hammer, the anvil or the steel?"

Nyx drew back a bit and eyed him warily. "Umm… that was pretty cryptic and obscure, even for you. Care to enlighten me as to what the fuck you meant by that?"

A dry, humorless chuckle escaped his lips as Gideon waved his hand dismissively. "It's of no consequence, Nyx. Just mulling potential outcomes for the clay we've been presented with. Things may yet prove to be beneficial – after all, the true test of a leader is finding a silver lining in every situation. And I believe I have one."

He grabbed a scroll off the bookshelf behind him. Nyx only made out the word 'Nidaime' before it disappeared into one of his pockets.

"Tell me – where is our _guest_ at the moment?"

"Sub-level 4 of the Interrogation division," Nyx stated. "She's in the torture room, waiting for you. I've got her strung up on a rack with double the normal amount of chakra suppression seals plastered over it, just in case."

"Then let's go and offer her a proper greeting," Gideon replied, as a malicious grin split his face from ear to ear and he rubbed his hands together diabolically. At the moment, Nyx thought he looked more like a mad scientist than the methodical, highly intelligent person controlling Iwa from the shadows.

"It would be rude to keep her waiting any longer."

* * *

A/N: And there you have it.

There was a lot of stuff going on here, but bear in mind that it's basically just the first part. There's more to come, and the whole situation with Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura will conclude next chapter. As an extra bonus, there's a hint in this chapter as to what's going to happen with Sakura. Extra points to whoever can guess it, and lets me know in their review.

Also, I know I'm going to catch hell for giving Sasuke the full Rinnegan, but I never got Kishimoto's reasoning for one Sharingan and one Rinnegan. And I think what happened qualifies as enough of a traumatic event to change his eyes.

**_Recommendation time!_** Once again, I find myself trying to find stories where the author is continuing to update, and perhaps doesn't have the following that it should.

So this time I'm recommending **An Uzumaki Scorned** by **SilentSambo88**. It's another time travel story but with several new twists, including Naruto being much more intelligent, ruthless and cold than normal. It makes the characters in my story feel tame by comparison. There are several conspiracies running around, and some of them may shock you but it makes the story much more enjoyable.

So get on over and read it! And leave a review when you do – I'm sure the author would appreciate it!

Here's the link, as usual remove the spaces and you know what to replace the stars with:

www . fanfiction. *** / s / 10743657

**REVIEWS!** I finally came back down to earth. After getting so many reviews for the last 5 chapters, I pulled in 61 last time – but I still appreciate each and every one. More importantly, I finally broke the 2,000 review barrier and that's a big milestone here on FanFiction. Thanks to all my readers who helped me achieve it.

So, did you like the chapter? Good? Bad? What would you like to see? What should I do differently? Please let me know with a review. I say this every time and it's always true – they help keep me moving, even when get a serious case of writer's block. So please, help keep my creative juices flowing and leave me one. Even if it's just something as simple as 'I loved it', words hold a lot of power when it comes to motivation.

That's all for now. Take care and stay safe.

Serious Sam


	35. Ch 34: Darkness In Life

34\. Darkness In Life

**_"And behold, I shall be a Blight upon the land, and everything I touch... shall wither, and die." – Derek Powers, a.k.a "Blight", Batman Beyond_**

Hello, everyone. It's been far too long since I pushed out a new chapter and I apologize. The usual stuff got in the way - work has been killer. The foster child in our home is starting to come around and is acting like a more normal, active nine year old. That means I don't get a chance to write until she goes to bed and by that time, I'm exhausted. it's both good and bad in a way. Plus, I've done some beta work and pushed out chapters for X-Rank and the other story I'm helping finish for **Ayrmed** (who passed away), **Love's Never Easy.** That doesn't even count the massive amount of writer's block I had. This chapter fought me the entire way.

I guess I learned my lesson on having too many projects.

_I also want to apologize to all my readers for not personally responding to all my reviews from last chapter. That'll be the last time that happens, I promise. Everyone will get a response this time._

Also, fair warning - after this chapter, I have beta work to do on one story, ideas to help out with another, push out a chapter of Love's Never Easy and then it's back to this one. Matt and I will work on the next chapter of X-Rank in-between all of that.

Rant and blame game is done. Moving on.

I'd like to thank my anonymous beta for his help and support. Thanks for sticking with me, and for your insight and approval of my work. And of course, the usual heartfelt thanks to **MattWilson83** who took time to help me with ideas, flow, additions and subtractions to the chapter. He helps make this story better in so many ways.

I also want to say that **DeviantArt** sucks ass for their stupid, ridiculous rules. They banned MattWilson83 for a month for drawing a picture of Sakura in her underwear and said it was too "suggestive" because they consider her underage, even though in _Boruto: The Movie_ she's married and has a 12-year old kid.

A couple of story updates - I've followed these and recommended them for awhile, and they seem to get better and better with every chapter. Head on over and give them a read - the authors would really appreciate it:

**Snow Angels – DeisuiNeko**

**Our Ninja Way – Just Retribution**

**An Uzumaki Scorned – SilentSambo88**

**Sanctuary of the Wounded – weirdismyname**

_And now on to credit where credit is due:_

**Hektols:** thanks a bunch for coming up with a simple way to explain the Rinnegan on Sasuke. Yeah, I screwed up on that one and had to find someone creative to bail me out. The idea was all his.

**Petran:** the name for the new member of the Mienai Segi was his idea. Good one, too. I think it fits perfectly.

**MattWilson83:** the idea for using the Nidaime's jutsu was all his. Absolutely brilliant.

Also, a little late credit to **myafroatemydog** for the idea in chapter 32 where Sakura and Hikaru talk.

Now, on to the disclaimer (it's back!). This one is a lot more obvious and I've been binge watching the old episodes at night when the Munchkin (that's my name for my foster daughter) finally goes to bed.

**_Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto. And hello there, uh… you. Fancy meeting… you here._**

**_Woman – You don't know my name, do you?_**

**_Disclaimer – Sure I do. It rhymes with a female body part._**

**_Woman – What is it?_**

**_Disclaimer – Umm… Mulva?_**

**_Woman – That's it. I'm outta here._**

**_Disclaimer – Oh, wait! I know! It's Delores! (+1 if you get the reference. +5 if you know the body part)._**

* * *

Chapter 34 – Darkness in Life

A latch clanged, and a steel door swung open on rusted hinges, groaning in protest the entire time. Deep inside the mountains of Iwa, Gideon walked into a well-lit torture chamber followed closely by Nyx. Of course, he wasn't looking to torture anyone just yet, but the location definitely encouraged people to answer his questions. For those that didn't – well, that's what he had Nyx for.

_Basically, resistance was futile._

In the center of the chamber, stretched out on a rack that was tilted at a 45-degree angle was a woman with pink hair and bright emerald green eyes. Her clothing was shredded and in tatters – what was left more closely resembled a crop top and low-rise pair of shorts. And despite the half dozen chakra suppression seals plastered over the rack, she still managed to struggle against her bonds, which groaned as she strained them to their limits.

"Well, well, well…" Gideon leered, "you're a feisty one, aren't you? I can certainly appreciate enthusiasm such as that."

"I'll show you more enthusiasm than that if I ever get loose." Sakura said threateningly as she glared at him. "Who are you? Where the hell am I, and what do you want?"

A hollow chuckle escaped his lips and his eyes flashed, showing her a brief hint of the anger and madness behind them. Then in one sudden, swift motion he backhanded her across her face with enough force to cut her cheek.

"While I am generous enough to allow some leeway due to your situation…" He casually wiped her blood off his knuckles, dragging them across the remnants of her shirt which barely covered her chest. "…you need to keep your tone in check."

Sakura hissed in pain and glared at him with murderous rage. "You're signing your own death warrant. Do you know who I am?"

"Oh, I'm very aware of who you are." Gideon clasped his hands behind his back and casually strolled around the rack, scrutinizing her like a fine piece of artwork. "Sakura Uchiha, disciple of Tsunade Senju. You are well known for your exploits in the Fourth Shinobi War, as well as your chakra enhanced strength and healing abilities. Wife to Sasuke Uchiha, who was the disciple of Orochimaru and at one time, also a member of the mercenary group known as Akatsuki."

So he had quite a bit of public information, which wasn't that big a deal but the unspoken hint was he knew a hell of a lot more than that. Private things. _Secret things._

Cocky bastard was way too sure of himself.

"Then since you know who my husband is, you should also know he's someone you shouldn't fuck with."

"Oh, I might be… _concerned_ if he knew you were alive," he waved his hand dismissively, "but more than likely he believes you are dead. If he came to any other conclusion than that I'd be very surprised. The people I sent to intercept your group left behind some very convincing false evidence that pointed rather compellingly towards your demise."

Her confidence level dropped after hearing that. "What happened to my teammates?"

"Dead." Gideon casually shrugged his shoulders. "The two chūnin accompanying you were basically turned into a compost pile by my very large associate, along with that female you were trying to buy time for in order to allow her to escape. However, their deaths did serve a greater purpose in helping convince your Hokage and those that advise him that you were among the casualties."

Tears threatened to spill from the corners of her eyes but Sakura held them back. She wouldn't give this asshole the satisfaction of seeing her cry. After a moment, she narrowed her eyes accusingly at him. "And yet, you kept me alive. Why? Planning on raping me?" She jutted her hips out at him. "Go ahead. Stick your dick in me. I guarantee that'll be the last place it goes where it isn't wanted."

His face hardened, he took two steps forward and backhanded her face once again, this time leaving a bruise on the opposite cheek. "I warned you once about that sharp tongue of yours. This is your second warning. Trust me when I say you'll regret it if I have to make a third. Are we clear?"

Sakura blinked groggily, trying to get rid of the stars that flooded her vision and bring her eyes back into focus. The strike was hard enough that she didn't feel like being on the receiving end of another warning. "Alright. I get it." She swished her tongue around in her mouth and spat a wad of blood onto the floor, noting that she now had two loose teeth. "But I'd still like to know why you specifically went out of your way to bring me here. Who am I to you?"

He chuckled dryly. "Let's just say you're my… for lack of a better word… _guest_ at the moment."

"Guests don't get kidnapped or strung up on a torture rack. They usually get a room at a hotel with a bath and food."

His look suggested how close she was to stepping over the line again with her tone of voice. She glanced away and nodded, heeding his warning.

Satisfied, Gideon stopped in front of a nearby table that was covered with various implements of torture and picked one at random – a whip with sharp metal barbs embedded into the leather. "I'm merely taking precautions…" he said, smiling in satisfaction as he snapped the whip a few times, each flick ending with a loud crack, "…at least until I hear your answer regarding the proposal I'm going to make."

"After what you did to me and my team, why would I listen to anything you have to say?"

Gideon tilted his head in thought, then nodded in agreement. "That's a fair point, but honestly what do you have to lose? Your situation is the only thing at risk at the moment. You'll have a chance to improve it based upon your answers."

Sakura eyed the whip, zeroing in specifically on the dried blood still coating the metal barbs in the leather. The person who used it was probably at least as skilled as Ibiki Morino, otherwise there'd be shriveled pieces of flesh hanging on them as well.

_As long as he doesn't use that whip on me I'll play along, she thought, mulling over several possible scenarios in her head. All I need is one good opening to escape. Once I'm off this table, punching my way out of wherever I am should be easy, and maybe I can get some intel while I'm at it. Sasuke and Naruto should know as much about this as I can tell them._

"Fine," she said flatly, "I'm listening."

With a last flick of his wrist, Gideon tossed the whip back on the table. "Then allow me to introduce myself. My name is Gideon, and I'm the leader of an elite organization known as the Mienai Segi." He smiled disarmingly at her. "Perhaps you've heard of us?"

Sakura shook her head. "Can't say that I have," she answered honestly.

Another shrug. "That honestly doesn't surprise me, since we go to great lengths to keep the existence of our organization, along with the identities of our members, a secret. However, you may be interested to know that your Hokage was once counted among our ranks."

Sakura's eyes widened almost imperceptibly at the news.

"People come to our organization on the pretense of seeking death. An event happened at some point in their lives – one so traumatic and damaging that the idea of living with that kind of pain is too much to bear." He glanced sideways at her. "Your Hokage never told me what his particular event was – perhaps you know what drove him to seek us out?"

_He was rewarded when Sakura flinched visibly, which meant she either knew what the source was, or she _**_WAS_**_ the source. Either way, he thought smugly, she definitely knows more than she has let on. I wonder what other treasure troves of information will be discovered when I turn Nyx loose on her mind?_

"Our ultimate goal is to bring peace to the world through sacrifice – unifying all of the elemental nations under one rule. Through power and fear, we will eliminate war and infighting. Everyone will answer to me… and my word will be law."

Sakura cringed internally from the horrors she saw reflected in his eyes.

"However, in addition to this I have a personal goal as well… the complete and utter destruction of Konoha."

Sakura's jaw dropped in complete shock. "You… You want to destroy Konoha? Why?!"

"To punish your Hokage, of course – along with all who are under his protection. His betrayal of us – **of me** – and our organization cannot be forgiven."

_Great. Another nut job with a God complex and an out of control ego. "And why on earth would I help you destroy my home?"_

"For any number of reasons, actually." He ticked the items off on his fingers. "Depending on your relationship with your village, it could be revenge, retribution, or even justice. Or it could be that I'm simply making you an offer you can't refuse." A look of hunger joined the megalomania he was emanating. "Whatever life you had there would pale in comparison to the one I'm offering you. Join us – help us realize our goals, and nothing will be out of your reach. Power. Money. Servants that obey your every whim. I can make all of that a reality, and more."

**_The man certainly makes a tempting offer, Inner Sakura added from out of the blue. It's too bad your weak-willed conscience won't consider it. I'd accept without a second thought._**

_Then it's a good thing you aren't._ "Sorry, the answer is no. I'm actually quite happy with my life in Konoha."

**_Liar._**

A pause. A smile. "I was hoping you'd say that… because in this case, doing things the hard way will be much more satisfying." A hollow laugh filled the room. "Plus, this way I won't have to be constantly questioning where your loyalties lie."

He hooked a finger in the tattered remnants of her top, ripping it off and exposing her smallish breasts.

"You will be joining us…"

He grabbed the fabric of her shorts and ripped those off as well, leaving her naked from head to toe, exposing her well-groomed pink pubic hair as she struggled futilely against her bonds.

"…you will do so willingly…"

He roughly grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him, savoring the fear in her eyes.

"… and in the process you'll be reborn, in the same manner you were brought into this world…"

He reared his fist back and landed a right hook to her face, knocking her unconscious. Sakura's head lolled to one side, blood dripping from her split lip and pooling on the already stained floor.

"…and once your mind has settled, you will think differently, and perhaps even thank me. Because, my dear Sakura, I will be the one who has set you free."

Nyx watched as Gideon continued to stare at the naked pinkette – not in a lascivious or sexual way, but rather like a Shōgi player who just regained a valuable piece. He was plotting tactics and moves because of it, and she knew better than to interrupt his thought process at times like this.

"How long will you need?" he asked, breaking the silence.

"A day, maybe two at the most," she replied casually. "You're asking me to do two high level jutsu at once. I need to make sure the whole thing is done right. If I make a mistake, the final product could be damaged."

"Then get to work. Once you're done, provide our new member with some clothing and send an ANBU to notify me. I have a little… **_initiation_** I'd like her to go through."

Nyx watched as he turned, almost with a flourish and walked out of the room. She sighed, then walked up to Sakura and pried open one of her eyelids, nodding in satisfaction at how far her pupils were dilated.

"Alright… let's see how far down the rabbit hole we need to go."

* * *

"So, you found no sign of her?"

Hana shook her head sadly. "No, Lord Hokage. We searched ten miles up and downstream, along with the surrounding wooded area. We didn't find any footprints, Kaya's kikachu didn't detect any foreign chakra, and Kanomaru said her scent ended at the riverbank. Sakura either drowned and was washed downstream, or she doubled back to help the chūnin in her party fight off their attackers."

Naruto nodded solemnly. Even though it sounded like Hana and her team did a thorough job, he privately entertained the idea of sending another search party out to comb the area again. He refused to believe what seemed like the only inevitable conclusion.

"What happened next?"

"Sasuke and I started building a makeshift litter for Shizune. After a few minutes I had to swap out with Asami, since she was having a hard time keeping the contents of her stomach down." A chill went up her spine and Hana shuddered, while Kanomaru whined and buried his nose in his paws at the memory. "Using our hands, Kaya and I scooped as much of that… _flesh,_ as we could into a pile." She extended a storage scroll towards him. "We sealed what we could in this."

Naruto eyed the scroll like a poisonous snake. He didn't want to touch it because he was afraid that Sakura – or what was left of her – might be part of what was sealed inside.

The other, and certainly more private reason was that on the inside, he was seething with anger. The scene was a dead ringer for how Gilgamesh ended almost every job. Hinata had been right – the entire thing practically reeked of Gideon and the rest of the Mienai Segi that went rogue.

He hesitantly reached out and took it from her grasp. "How many bodies would you say made up what you found?"

"It's… hard to say." Her skin paled a shade or two. "A lot of it seeped into the ground, but if I had to guess, I'd say two or three at minimum."

"And where are Kaya and Asami right now?"

"As soon as we got back, I sent them straight to the hospital with Shizune." She reached down and scratched Kanomaru behind his ears, hoping the gesture would calm both of them down. "I figured you'd want Lady Tsunade working on her as soon as possible."

He nodded in agreement, then decided to address the elephant in the room. "What about Sasuke?"

Hana's eyes softened. "He… didn't say anything on the way back here, and we really didn't try to strike up a conversation with him about anything. When we asked him to use Susanoo to help get Shizune back here as fast as possible, he didn't even argue about it – even though he exhausted most of his chakra getting us out to the campsite in the first place." Then she perked up as she remembered something. "Oh, and you should know he has the Rinnegan now."

Naruto's eyes snapped to meet hers. "That shouldn't be possible. You can't get the Rinnegan without having Senju DNA, and that's one thing Sasuke doesn't have at all."

"Try telling that to my team," Hana snapped testily. "Something happened when he found Shizune, because when Kanomaru and I found him his eyes changed. All of us could literally **_feel_** the anguish and rage pouring out of them."

This whole mission was fucked up from the get-go and right now she was exhausted physically, mentally, and chakra wise. All she wanted right now was a hot bath and a good night's sleep. She'd start drinking tomorrow.

Naruto rubbed his forehead – the fallout from all this was going to be massive. The council would somehow try to turn this whole fucking fiasco into a declaration of war on Kusagakure. He cringed at the thought of what Tsunade would try to do to him. Ino was helping take care of Mikomi until Sakura got back, and Sasuke…

…he needed to find his brother before he did something drastic.

"Any idea where Sasuke is now?"

"He… headed off to a bar." She stared sympathetically at the Hokage. "He said you'd know which one – you were a frequent guest there before you became Hokage."

_The Rusty Kunai._ He'd drowned his nightmares there on more than one occasion. The stuff they served there could barely be called booze, half the regulars thought they were tougher than they really were, and every night at least one of those overconfident assholes got sent to the hospital. Perfect place for someone looking for a fight.

"Thanks, Hana. I appreciate your team pushing themselves so hard to complete this mission. Hopefully it'll be enough to save Shizune's life." He waved her towards the door. "I know normal procedure is to submit a full written report within twenty four hours, but due to… _circumstances_ I think it's only fair I give you a couple extra days. Now you and your team should go home and get some sleep."

She nodded gratefully and walked wordlessly out the door, Kanomaru padding softly alongside her. Naruto watched her go, and once he was alone he picked up the storage scroll and glared at the thing, turning it over and over in his hands while dozens of questions, scenarios, and outcomes played out over and over in his head.

This whole thing started because Gideon wanted to get his hands on Tsunade. Sannin, former Hokage, healer, summoner… he could take his pick from any one of a dozen legitimate reasons. Problem was, Gideon despised consolation prizes almost as much as he hated people who failed him.

Gilgamesh couldn't bring back Tsunade because Naruto didn't send her on the mission. That made Sakura – along the rest of her team – dead weight. **_Literally._** And the pile of pureed flesh sealed inside the storage scroll was the result. The only reason why Shizune didn't end up shredded with the rest of the bodies was probably because Gilgamesh thought she was as good as dead anyway.

Naruto hated the thing in his hands. It was a physical reminder of his greatest fuck-up as Hokage to date – the only thing in question now was would they find Sakura's DNA? On the off chance they didn't, at least there'd be hope she was still alive.

He wanted to throw the thing away. Burn it until there wasn't even ashes left, but none of that was an option. He needed to know. Tsunade needed to know.

_Sasuke and Ino _**_deserved_**_ to know._

He snatched his coat off a nearby hook and walked out of his office, stopping at Mina's desk.

She pushed aside her latest research project and looked up at him. "Yes, Lord Hokage?"

"I'll be gone for a few hours." He felt and sounded like a man who was going to his own funeral. "I have a couple of stops to make, but I should be back by noon at the latest. Unless it's a major emergency, make sure no one comes looking for me."

"Understood. But just in case someone does need to find you, where will you be?"

"I need to drop this off at the Research Division," he said, holding up the storage scroll. "They need to run a DNA test on the contents for me."

She nodded and made a note. "And the second?"

He frowned, then let out a heavy sigh. "Visiting my relatives."

* * *

A light wind blew over well-cut grass; the blades swaying back and forth underneath the midday sun. Naruto padded silently along past row after row of stone markers, heading towards a private and very secluded section of the cemetery. The people buried there had made the ultimate sacrifice for their village, giving their lives to save countless others.

Hashirama and Tobirama were there. Hiruzen should have been, but they buried him next to his wife Biwako in the Sarutobi clan section. There was a marker for Jiraiya, even though Naruto knew the grave itself was empty.

His sad gaze lingered on it for a few seconds, then he pushed himself past it, walking eight more steps before finally reaching his destination. A marble obelisk that stood around six feet tall, with two symbols carved in the top. The first was an eight pointed star. The second was a red swirl.

_The symbols of the Namikaze and Uzumaki Clans, respectively._

Beneath that were listed the names of Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki. The inscription on it read:

_I carry your heart with me, throughout life and death. I shall never be without it. Wherever you go, I will go._

_You are the root, the leaf, the bud, and the sky of the tree of my life. It grows higher than the soul can hope, or the mind can hide._

_I will fear no fate nor want no world. You are my sweet, my darling, and ne'er shall anything keep us apart._

A lump formed in his throat as Naruto stepped forward, his fingers tracing the deep grooves that made up his parent's names. He swallowed heavily, trying to make sure his words didn't come out as a hoarse croak.

"Hey."

_He failed._

"I'm sorry I haven't come by here more often. I've been busy with being Hokage – but that's really just a pathetic excuse." He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to fight back the tears that were threatening to form. "The truth of the matter is that I'm a coward. Coming here… it reminds me of what I didn't have as a kid, or as a teenager or even as an adult. Don't think I blame you for any of that – you saved my life. You did what any good parent would have done for their son." A wry smile formed on his lips. "I think that's another reason why I have such a hard time coming here. I can only imagine how disappointed you guys would be with me over how I'm doing with Hikaru."

"I mean, don't get me wrong. He's a great kid. Smart, energetic, hardworking, ridiculously protective of Reira – that's the little girl living in our house that swears she's gonna marry him someday. But he can definitely be a handful sometimes. When his temper flares up…" Naruto shook his head in mock denial. "…he reminds me of you, Mom. At least if all the stories I've heard about you are true. I think you would've liked him. I'll bet the two of you would've gotten along great."

Eyes still shut, he pressed his back against the monument and slid slowly to the ground. "There's no one else I can talk to about this. Hinata wouldn't understand, Tsunade and Iruka probably want to kill me, Kakashi was never really good at helping other people with problems and Sasuke… he's more than likely on his fifth bottle of saké by now." A break in the clouds caused a stray beam of sunlight to shine through and Naruto leaned his head back, letting the warmth was over his face. "And I hate burdening anyone else with my problems, but honestly I… I don't know where else to turn."

The wind changed direction, rustling through the leaves on the trees surrounding the cemetery. The sound wove through others around him; birds calling out to one another, water flowing through a nearby fountain. The air blew over his forehead, like a mother's touch running her fingers across a weary brow. And maybe it was because he was trained in the Sage Arts, but he could feel the nature energy around him, reverberating through him, _speaking to him…_

_We_ are **here,** Nar**uto**. We **_are_** liste_ning._

This time a tear actually fell from the corner of his eye, crawling down his temple and over his cheek. "I fucked up, Dad. I fucked up bad and now people are dead because of me."

**Lang**_uage,_ the voice scolded him.

He didn't know how, but he could tell that was his mother. "Sorry," he apologized, even having the decency to look chastised.

Accep**_ted_**. _Now,_ what **_did_** you _do?_

"I failed to follow my own teacher's advice and look beneath the beneath. I trusted other people to do their jobs and the mission I sent my shinobi on turned out to be a trap."

A g**ood** lea**der** _needs_ **to** trust **_people._**

"And look what happened when I did!"

_Can_ you **do** eve_ry_ job you**_rself?_**

"No, but that's not the point!" he snapped angrily. "Hinata figured out Gideon was behind the whole thing in five minutes… FIVE MINUTES! Yeah, she's smarter than me, but I'm the Hokage! I should've thought of that first! I should've known better!"

No **one** is _per_fect. **Ev**en Ho**_kage_** make **_mis_**_takes._

He stubbornly bashed the back of his head on the monument. His parents were being frustratingly logical. "But I swore when I took this job that people wouldn't die under my watch because I was being blind or stupid. That any fuc… ummm, I mean screw ups I made would be minor. And now…"

A cloud passed overhead, blocking the warming rays of the sun. The wind flowing over his body turned cold, causing him to shiver from the sudden change in temperature.

**Sak**_ura_ m**_ig_**ht _be_ de**ad.**

"Yeah," he nodded, realizing his body now matched the sullen mood of the conversation. "I mean, Sasuke is my friend, my rival… hell, he's basically the brother I never had. What can I possibly say to him that won't sound like a bunch of pathetic excuses and apologies? Nothing, that's what."

Gi**_ve_** _him_ **sp**ace for **_a_** fe**_w da_**ys. Let _him_ co**me to** _you._

Naruto grunted skeptically. "And what if that doesn't work?"

Se**ek hi**m _out._ O**_ffer_** your **sup**port.

"He'll probably want to kick my ass," he added sarcastically.

**If** th**_at w_**ill _help, t_he**_n_** _co_**nsi**d_er_ it.

A lifeless chuckle escaped his lips. They were trying to lighten the mood, but it wasn't helping. He wrapped his arms around his chest and leaned forward, hugging himself as hard as he could.

"I miss you," he said, sniffing a few times as he choked back a sob. "I miss you both so much."

A_nd_ **_we m_**iss y**ou,** _son._

The sun didn't come back out but the warm wind returned, wrapping around him like a blanket. But despite how comforting it felt, it couldn't take away the pain and anguish in his heart.

* * *

Pink hair framed hunter green eyes that glared at the two jōnin escorting her through the underground halls of Iwa.

Two days earlier, Sakura had woken up in what seemed like a general, run of the mill guest room. It was sparsely furnished, not lavishly – more functional than anything. It was definitely a far cry from the torture chamber, which was the last thing she remembered before Gideon's fist slammed into her jaw and she blacked out.

Her body was weak. Her heart was beating rapidly, like she'd just run a marathon. The sheets and pillow of her bed were soaked in her sweat. Even in the low light, her eyes throbbed painfully and her vision was blurry. Her hair was matted against her face. Even something as simple as trying to move her arms caused her nerve endings to scream in agony.

Oddly enough, even though her head felt like it was splitting apart it also felt… light. The pressure that was normally there was strangely absent. Everything was quiet. Calls to her subconscious went unanswered.

A hoarse croak and a lamp shattering on the floor was enough to summon help. A woman about fifty years old entered the room – it was pretty obvious she wasn't a kunoichi – and tossed a set of clothes onto the bed before helping Sakura sit up. A wave of nausea hit the pinkette and a wastebasket was placed under her mouth, a just in time for Sakura to empty the bile and minimal contents of her stomach, while the woman rubbed her back soothingly the entire time.

After ten minutes, when there was nothing left and the dry heaves stopped, Sakura finally had a chance to look down at her body. She blinked a few times, clearing her vision to make sure she was seeing things correctly.

She was stark naked. Her body felt like she'd just woken up from a coma after a year of binge drinking. Normally she'd be mortified, but right now modesty was at the bottom of her priority list.

"Name's Juru," the woman introduced herself. "I was told to take care of you."

Sakura tried standing but her legs were shaky, so Juru provided some support as she guided Sakura to the bathroom and straight into the shower where she let the hot water run over the pinkette's body as she carefully scrubbed Sakura from head to toe. Afterwards, Juru dried Sakura off and dressed her in the simple outfit she'd brought. The clothes were an almost exact replica of the Uchiha outfit, except the colors were earth tones instead of the red, white, black and pink she usually wore.

Juru spoon-fed Sakura some chicken noodle soup and helped her drink some milk through a straw. Being treated like an invalid or two-year old child pissed Sakura off to no end, but she didn't utter a word and just let it happen. The pinkette was too weak to fight about it.

"Get some rest," Juru instructed, pulling the covers up over her. "You've got a long road of recovery ahead."

_Not likely,_ Sakura sulked to herself. She still had the Hyakugou seal on her forehead, even though she could tell a good chunk of its power was gone for some reason. _I'll be out of bed and back to normal within a week. No one's spoon-feeding me longer than necessary._

Turned out, she was wrong. She didn't need seven days.

Each morning, the pattern with Juru repeated itself. Bathe. Eat. Sleep. During periods of rational consciousness, Sakura secretly used the Hyakugou seal to accelerate her healing and do some limited solo physical therapy. She'd healed herself countless times before, but this one felt different. The entire process seemed almost alien, like she was wearing someone else's skin.

It was on the second day Sakura began to realize it wasn't just her body that felt strange. That morning when Juru helped her out of the shower she finally had enough strength to shove the old caretaker away.

The difference was she didn't just think about doing it, _she actually did it._

Sakura wiped the fog from the full-length mirror in the bathroom and stared at herself. It was her hair and face… the eyes were more green than usual, but they weren't filled with pain, or sorrow, or regret. They seemed more dispassionate, or _cold._

Those same eyes traveled over her arms, chest and luxurious long legs. There wasn't a mark or blemish on her skin. In her opinion, other than being in desperate need of a tan she was _absolutely perfect._

"No fucking way…" she muttered, as a dry laugh caught in her throat, "someone must have heard me after all. I wonder who pulled it off?"

Juru was confused. "I'm sorry, I don't understand…"

"It's fine," Sakura interrupted, waving her hand dismissively. "Everything is just fine."

Things moved faster after that. It didn't take long before Sakura was out of bed and walking around on her own. She was eating solid food a day later. Physical therapy sessions got more intense.

But no matter how much she used the Hyakugou seal, she couldn't get back to normal. Sakura reasoned someone must have siphoned off a large chunk of her reserves, which would explain why her body was so weak and her healing abilities were limited.

The bigger questions were who did it? What did they need so much chakra for? And why was she having such a hard time getting it back?

Ironically enough, that's when two jōnin showed up, telling her that Gideon wanted to see her immediately. They slapped on a pair of chakra restraints, then hustled her out of the room and down several hallways. The cold resonating from the stone creeped over her skin, meaning they were deep underground.

It didn't take long before they arrived at a thick, rusted iron door. One of the jōnin turned the latch and opened it, then pushed her inside.

Sakura recognized the place immediately. It was the torture chamber where she had been strung up on a rack except this time, someone else was in her place with a hood over their head. Gideon stood to one side, hands behind his back, waiting patiently for her to arrive.

He smirked and then motioned his head towards her. "Remove her restraints. I don' t think we'll be needing them."

One key and three seconds later the restraints, along with the two jōnin were gone from the room. Sakura rubbed her wrists, trying to restore the circulation as she slowly felt the strength returning to her body.

_No chakra suppression seals here, she wondered to herself. Why?_

"To answer your unasked question, the reason why you're not being restrained by chakra seals at the moment is because you'll be needing your strength." Gideon ripped the hood off the person tied the rack, revealing the face of a man with a gag shoved in his mouth. "Do you recognize this person?"

Sakura studied him for a few seconds, then shook her head. "Can't say as I do. Who is he?"

"A spy, sent here by Konoha." Gideon yanked the man's hair painfully, making him wince. "We discovered this about three weeks ago, and have been feeding him false information since then. I had him arrested yesterday and brought here, because he's going to be your test subject."

She cocked an eyebrow. "Test subject?"

"For proving your loyalty." He walked over to a nearby table, grabbed a kunai with a serrated edge and tossed it across the room. It clattered on the floor in front of her. "Kill him. And make sure you do so without the slightest bit of reluctance or hesitation."

Sakura picked up the kunai and turned it over in her hand, examining it. He obviously didn't consider her to be much of a threat if he was giving her a weapon, which meant he knew how weak she still was. But was it worth it? Yeah, she'd probably kill a few people on the way out trying to escape but in her current condition she stood virtually no chance of making it out alive.

Her eyes flicked to the man tied to the rack. He was staring at her, eyes wide with terror. He knew his fate was sealed from the way her soulless eyes stared back at him. There wasn't one ounce of compassion or sympathy reflected there.

_I'll kill him. You know I will. And I'll enjoy it, Sakura laughed cruelly into her subconscious. If you plan on saving this man's life, you'd better stop me now._

Nothing so much as twitched in her mind.

_Suit yourself. His death is on your conscience._

She strode forward and buried the kunai in his abdomen. A thrill went through her as the steel slid easily into his flesh. The man screamed in pain, but it was muffled by the gag in his mouth. Blood fountained from the wound, splashing her face and she licked at it, enjoying the warm, salty taste of the blood.

He stared at her pleadingly as his eyes glazed over but rather than pity, she felt nothing but satisfaction and power. His life was hers to take or save and this time, she didn't take the path of the trained medic. Saving him against all odds wasn't the only choice she had anymore.

One corner of her lips turned up and Sakura sneered as she dragged the kunai to the right, slicing him open and then yanking it out roughly. Pieces of flesh caught the edge of the serrated blade and his intestines spilled out from the slit.

"Was that good enough?"

"I believe I told you to kill him," Gideon said, glancing briefly at the man. "He still appears to be alive."

With an almost casual shrug of her shoulders, Sakura turned and stabbed the man through his right eye socket, driving the kunai into the rack and killing him instantly.

"Sorry," Sakura apologized halfheartedly. "I figured you'd appreciate a slow and painful death. My mistake."

After a moment, Gideon chucked lowly. "I must admit, I wasn't prepared for such creativity from the outset. In the future I will either expect it, or be more specific with my requests."

"I'm just full of surprises." She crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Got any additional requests?"

"Just one." He crooked his finger at her. "Follow me. We have another stop to make." He opened the door and led her down the dimly lit hallway, making several turns along the way. "I have one final test for you."

He ushered her inside another room. There was a man in a hospital bed there, hooked up to an EKG, EEG and several other machines. An oxygen mask covered his face, and a ventilator was off to one side. It had either been used recently or was there simply as a precautionary measure.

"Who's this?" Sakura asked, jerking her head toward the man.

"One of my associates. Several weeks ago, he was involved in a fight with a powerful adversary who… well, frankly we underestimated. He has been in a coma since his return and despite the best efforts of those in my village, we have been unable to improve his condition."

She walked over and professionally scanned the printouts coming from the machines. "Let me guess. Fixing him is the second part of my initiation, right?"

"Yes. Can you accomplish this?"

Sakura checked the oxygen saturation level, then grabbed a nearby stethoscope and pressed it against the man's chest, listening to his heartbeat. "He's got about a sixty five percent chance. I can't give you better odds than that."

He glared frostily at her. "Care to repeat that?"

"Fine. I said at best, he's got a sixty five percent chance." Despite his threatening tone, Sakura wasn't fazed in the least. She was used to dealing with people like him at the hospital. "Look, from what I can tell other than some muscular atrophy and malnourishment, for the most part his body is fine. It's his brain that's the issue. I won't know the extent of the damage until I do a more thorough scan, but at the very least he's got a contusion or two. If he's not, then we're looking at a coup-contrecoup or diffuse anoxal. If I'd gotten to him sooner…" She shook her head in denial. "Anyway, **if** I can fix it – and I still don't know if I can – it's going to take time and a shitload of effort."

"Then begin. Whatever you require to complete your task will be provided…"

"Hold on a minute," she interrupted him, "I'll do it – but I've got some conditions first."

"Is that right?" he replied haughtily, cocking an eyebrow at her. "And what might these conditions be?"

"First of all, regardless of whether or not I succeed, I get to join this little group of yours. Second, I want what you promised. Food. Clothes. Servants. Money to spend wherever and whenever I want. Third, I want a place at the table – I'm not going to be some lackey taking orders. I want to be free to speak up, offer my ideas and opinions and have them listened to and considered. Finally, I want your word that when you attack Konoha, you will spare the lives of my husband and my daughter."

"Normally I kill people who make demands of me, but you've made me curious. If you don't succeed in healing my associate, tell me why exactly I should give you what you want?"

"Because you need recruits." She pointed at the comatose man lying on the bed. "He's probably jōnin, or elite jōnin. Maybe even stronger. Shinobi like that aren't easy to come by, and you wouldn't be asking me to heal him if you had a dozen more like him to choose from."

The muscles in Gideon's jaw flexed angrily. "And?"

"And my husband was in charge of the ANBU." Sakura leered at him. "He had a secondary office at the Uchiha compound full of stuff he brought home from work. Sasuke was a little too trusting with me and never locked the door. Curiosity got the better of me on more than one occasion… Anyway, long story short I know things about Konoha that most people don't. Patrols. Black site locations. Encryption keys. Secret ways in and out of the village." She tapped the side of her head. "What I have up here is an information goldmine."

"That doesn't necessarily make your life valuable," he countered. "I could just as easily have Nyx rip that information from your head."

_Probably that short, evil looking bitch that was in the room with us a few days ago._ "But wouldn't you rather have an active participant on your side?" She placed her hands on her hips and stared back at him defiantly. "I fought on the front lines of the Fourth Shinobi War – I didn't hide in some tent way in the back. And don't forget I'm the best medic in the elemental nations. You want Konoha burned to the ground, right? Well, so do I – and I've got a plan to help you out."

"I can give you all of that and more," she teased, just like he'd done with his initial offer. "And it's not like I'm asking for a lot more than you were planning on giving me in the first place. Give me what **I** want, and I'll help you get what **you** want. All in all, I'd say that's a fair trade."

Gideon stared at her impassively, but on the inside he was fuming. He barely tolerated someone trying to negotiate with him, and he usually shoved a fire jutsu down the throat of anyone stupid enough to try making demands.

Melting someone from the inside out was always enough to get his point across. The fact that he enjoyed it was just icing on the cake.

But this woman was far smarter than he'd initially thought. Her tone of voice wasn't rude or abrasive, just… _confident._ But to him, that was like fingernails on a chalkboard.

For all the reasons she'd mentioned and more, he couldn't kill her. And she knew it.

"Before I give my answer, I would like to know… are there any other lives in Konoha you would like to petition me to spare?"

The question surprised Sakura a little bit. Dozens of faces flashed through her mind, but only three of them lingered. _Ino. Tsunade. Hikaru._

"No," she said, shaking her head. "No one."

"Then I accept your proposal." The lives of two against the entirety of Konoha was a trade he could accept. And if she failed him, he could always kill her later. "Now, what exactly is this plan you have?"

An evil grin split Sakura's face. She got what she wanted, and she'd get even more before she was through. Hell, if she played her cards right she'd end up number two in the pecking order around here. "Iwa has some good fighters, but Konoha is way too strong. We need an ace in the hole; something that'll raise the fighting power of anyone we send against the village significantly. So while I'm here trying to fix your associate, I need you to send a few of your shinobi on a mission to find someone. The last I heard, she was holed up in a hidden base somewhere around the ruins of Uzushiogakure."

Gideon raised his eyebrows. "And who might this person be?"

"Karin," she spat the name, her voice dripping with venom. "Her name is Karin."

* * *

_Knock, knock._

Naruto blinked a few times, then dug the heels of his hands into his eyes and rubbed. The bags underneath his eyes were a telltale sign of how little sleep he'd gotten over the last few days. He could probably count the number of hours on one hand, and his prospects for the future looked just as bleak.

There were three reports sitting on his desk. He'd shoved the stacks of paper that usually cluttered the top into a corner of his office.

The first was a complete account from Hana of the mission, down to the smallest detail. Knowing more didn't make a difference, though – in all honesty, it actually made him feel worse. His former associates had been vile, sadistic and then vanished without a trace.

No scent. No chakra. No footprints. Not even a glob of spit. Just a bunch of bodies that more closely resembled ground hamburger than anything else.

Gilgamesh and Nyx had been very thorough. He'd expected nothing less.

The second was a medical report from Tsunade on Shizune. The prognosis wasn't good.

There were five lesions on her brain, two blood clots, three cracked ribs, a broken femur and a depressed skull fracture. Hana tried to heal the bones on the way back, however since they were moving fast she didn't do a very good job and they had to be broken and reset properly. Tsunade caught the clots before they caused any permanent damage, but the bruising was going to cause some major gaps in her memory.

That meant she probably wouldn't remember anything about what happened. Hopefully she'd still remember being married to Iruka.

The last report – the one he was currently reading when the knock on his door interrupted him – was the results from the Research Division. Based on weight and mass, there had only been enough… _flesh_ in that storage scroll for one, possibly two bodies but they'd found four strands of DNA. The two chūnin he'd sent – a third, as yet unidentified male party – and Sakura.

He'd never use the word impossible, but unless through some miracle she was hiding in a nearby village nursing her way back to health, at this point the odds that she survived were extremely slim. Almost non-existent.

So it went without saying that his entire morning FUCKING SUCKED. Every word he read was like a repetitive slap in the face. So when he heard someone knock on his door, he was more than grateful for the distraction.

"Come in."

Ino walked in, pushing a stroller. Mikomi was asleep inside, wrapped up in a blanket and hat to keep her warm against the slight chill in the air.

"Ino?" He quickly used his arm to sweep the reports he'd been reading into one of his desk drawers. "Hey, umm… what's up?"

"I… hope I'm not interrupting anything," she said, her face riddled with worry. "I wondered if you had some time. To talk."

"Oh, uh… Sure." He had an inkling what the conversation would be about since she brought the baby, which would make him more depressed than he already was. But he motioned her towards the couch anyway, and she sank into it and sighed gratefully. "What's on your mind?"

"Sasuke."

Okay, **that** was a bit of a surprise. "What about him?"

"I'm worried about him," she said, wringing her hands. "Since he got back, all I see him do is drink. He leaves the house early, but I don't think he's going into work. Is Kakashi is still running the ANBU for him?"

"I… honestly don't know," Naruto reluctantly admitted. "I had a couple ANBU keeping an eye on him, but I haven't been asking for reports. They're just supposed to let me know if he starts looking violent or suicidal."

"I think he's drinking to keep those thoughts suppressed. The last few days I've fallen asleep on the couch waiting for him to get home at night. I never hear him when he comes in, but I can sure as hell smell him." Ino shuddered at the recollection. "And he goes straight for Mikomi's room when he comes through the door. He just… hovers over her crib, staring at her until whatever he drank finally catches up with him and he falls asleep in a chair next to her crib."

Ino's statement gave Naruto a whole slew of new problems to worry about. Avoiding his job was bad enough, but having Sasuke both depressed **and** drinking was a recipe for disaster. An angry, drunk Uchiha was bad enough, but add in the Rinnegan? No thanks. The last time someone like that showed up in Konoha, Nagato turned the place into a crater. Even if Naruto managed to keep his brother in check, the property damage would be staggering, not to mention the blow to his reputation.

"So you've been taking care of Mikomi? Sasuke hasn't been helping out at all?"

Ino sadly shook her head. "No, and I know that's wrong but… Dammit, how fucking horrible of a person would I be if I yelled at him right now? I mean, he just had a ton of shit dropped on him about…" She drew a shaky breath and looked at him with pleading, hopeful eyes. "Did you get… I mean, do you know if…"

"Yeah." Naruto reluctantly picked up one of the scrolls. "Just got the results this morning. Research Division found four separate sets of DNA. One was from Sakura."

"Is… Is there any hope? Could she still be alive somewhere?"

"I'll never say never Ino, but…" He wearily rubbed his forehead. "…we've got some intel on the people who did this. They're dangerous. Every one of their members is S-rank at the very least. They were after Tsunade, and the guy in charge hates it when things don't turn out the way he wants. The only reason why they'd capture her is so that asshole could torture and kill her himself, so the odds of Sakura still being alive are about as thin as it gets."

Ino squeezed her eyes shut against the news. She was Sakura's friend… maybe her **only** friend. Sakura had leaned on her for a lot of things while she was trying to repair her life and now… it was all gone. Everything Sakura had worked towards over the last few months. All the progress. All the effort.

_It was all gone. Because Sakura was gone._

"Then Sasuke is all Mikomi has left." Her lower lip trembled as tears fell from the corners of her eyes. "You have to do something, Naruto. Sakura asked me to help take care of Mikomi and I will, but… but…"

"I get it, Ino. I get it," he said as he placed an arm comfortingly around her shoulders. "I'll make sure Mikomi doesn't lose both her father **and** her mother. And that's a promise of a lifetime."

* * *

Sasuke pushed the empty bottle of saké towards the bartender.

"Again."

The bartender stopped wiping down the counter and frowned at him. "It's almost noon. Shouldn't you be going somewhere else to eat?"

Sasuke glared back at him with Rinnegan eyes. "I don't need food. What I need is for you to shut up and get me a new bottle of saké." He slammed some Ryo down on the counter. "Like I'm paying you to."

The bartender sweatdropped. Intended or not, he considered the statement a veiled threat. As a former chūnin, he'd seen more than his fair share of fighting and while he wasn't the best, he was no slouch either. He was still in pretty good shape, and had more than enough skill to throw the occasional drunk out onto the street. The ANBU dealt with any jōnin that got out of hand, which thankfully didn't happen all that often. Jōnin tended to be more a disciplined bunch.

But the Rinnegan? He was around when Pain attacked the village a little over twenty years ago. He died, and would've stayed dead if it hadn't been for the current Hokage. He didn't stand a chance then, and he didn't stand a chance now against those eyes.

_The entire village didn't stand a chance against those eyes._

The bartender somehow managed to keep his face impassive as he pushed another bottle in front of Sasuke, who grunted in thanks before filling his saucer and downing the liquor in one shot.

Everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief and started talking again – lowly at first, but their voices became louder as the minutes ticked on. It didn't take long before everyone was yelling at each other, or for another round of drinks. The atmosphere in the bar was back to normal…

…until five minutes later, when an imposing figure with blonde hair wearing a white, knee-length trench coat darkened the doorway. Silence hit the room like a wrecking ball when everyone recognized who it was.

Every head followed the Hokage as he strode into the room. The metal legs of the barstool groaned as Naruto pulled out the one next to Sasuke.

"Fire Whiskey," he said, slamming a pile of Ryo down on the counter. "And make sure it's top shelf – not the watered down stuff you usually serve to the idiots who don't know better."

"I don't water my drinks," the bartender growled.

"Yeah. Right." Naruto pointed at Sasuke. "My friend's eyes can tell if someone is lying. Wanna try your luck?"

The bartender glanced at Sasuke who was staring back at him, one corner of his mouth turned up in a self-satisfied smirk… basically daring him to call Naruto on his non-existent bluff.

Three lock clicks, one sliding panel and five seconds later a bottle of single barrel fire whiskey, aged fifteen years was placed in front of the Hokage. A clean saucer clinked on the counter, the bartender scooped up the Ryo and moved away, busying himself with washing glasses and cutting lemon wedges.

Naruto cracked the seal and poured himself a drink, downing it in one shot. Sasuke poured his own shot and downed it, then quickly drank another which Naruto mirrored. The two of them matched each other shot for shot, drink for drink, until half of each bottle was gone.

"I'm sorry."

Sasuke stopped in the act of filling his cup. "Excuse me?" he asked dryly, cocking an eyebrow at Naruto.

"I said I'm sorry." Naruto took another shot and hissed as the burning liquid went down his throat. "Look, we've been through too much shit together, Sasuke. You'd know if I was being genuine, or just telling you what I think you want to hear." He opted to stare at his drinking cup, rather than look him in the eye. "I don't know what else I can say that won't sound hollow, pathetic, or like I'm trying to push the blame off on someone else. I'm the Hokage, so ultimately the responsibility is mine and I'm just… sorry. Really, really sorry."

Sasuke watched as Naruto went back to drinking like a man possessed, the bottle and saucer never leaving his hands. His eyes followed Naruto's hands as they shoved as much Fire Whiskey down his throat in the shortest time possible.

Once he was finished Naruto hunched over the empty bottle and saucer and waited for – well, he honestly didn't know exactly. Hatred for him at the very least. Outright violence was certainly a possibility, and it wouldn't take much for innocent bystanders to be caught in the crossfire. Ameratsu, Susanoo… Hell, even large scale property destruction wasn't off the table. Naruto had a few Hiraishin seals set up to get them out of the village in case that happened, but he still had to get close enough to use them.

Sasuke had a lot of options to choose from.

"Hn," the Uchiha grunted, downing his own drink. "It's not your fault."

Naruto's head shot up fast enough for his neck to make a loud crack. That was the absolute **_LAST_** thing he expected to hear from Sasuke. "Come again?"

"I said it's not your fault. While I was at the hospital getting these looked at…" Sasuke pointed a finger at his eyes, "…Tsunade told me how hard you argued against sending Sakura on the mission, and she was the one who convinced you otherwise." He took another drink. "If anything, I'm pissed at her **way** more than I'm pissed at you."

Somehow, that didn't make Naruto feel any better.

Well, maybe it did. Just a teeny, tiny bit.

"By the way, did she happen to mention how you got those eyes?"

Sasuke nodded. "Yeah. Turns out Obito used some of Hashirama's cells to enhance the healing process when he transplanted Nii-san's eyes. He only used a small amount – just enough to get the job done." This time, he took three large swigs straight from the bottle. "They just needed something… big enough to trigger the change."

Naruto didn't know whether Sasuke intended his words to sound bitter and slightly accusatory, or just as a general statement. He hoped it was the latter and not the former.

"Makes sense, I suppose." He swallowed, metaphorically eating the words Sasuke had flung his way and they burned going down his throat like the Fire Whiskey he'd just finished off. "Still doesn't change the fact that you're pissed, though. I'd be too if I was in your shoes, but we gotta find a way to burn off that anger. Any ideas on how we can keep you from erupting like a volcano?"

"Hmmm…" Sasuke glanced sideways at Naruto, raising his eyebrows. "Valley of the End?"

Naruto blanched. The Valley of the End was the scene of their last fight. Well, fight was really a misnomer. When Kakashi found them afterwards, he'd told them the landscape resembled a war zone more than anything else. Both of them had basically been on the brink of death and spent the next week and a half in the hospital recovering.

It'd taken over a month to repair the damage. Tsunade had been ultra pissed.

It was one of more than a dozen memories he'd like to forget. So he definitely wasn't eager to repeat the whole experience. Plus, they were both a whole lot stronger than before. They might not be able to fix what they broke this time.

He opened his mouth, planning to ask Sasuke to think of something less violent and… destructive, but before he could say anything he remembered what his parents said to him a few days ago…

_"Sasuke probably wants to kick my ass."_

_"If that will help, then consider it."_

It might be the worst idea ever, but he'd be the world's worst hypocrite if he told Sasuke that since he'd pulled the same stunt with Tsunade.

Sasuke needed a way to vent his anger, and he figured this would do it. Naruto was the only one in the village who could take him on. And he knew the pain his brother was feeling. After all, he'd caused it. So how could he refuse?

"Damn," Naruto grunted, "you know this is gonna hurt, right?"

Sasuke drank the last swig of saké and slammed the empty bottle down on the counter.

"It already does."

That time he was sure Sasuke said it on purpose. The guilt stabbed him in the heart like the sharpest kunai, and any hesitation Naruto might've had vanished. He'd deal with the fallout from this whole thing later. His brother needed him. This was something he **had** to do.

He brought two fingers to his lips and blew a piercing whistle, silencing everyone in the bar. A few seconds later two ANBU appeared in front of him.

"Yes, Lord Hokage?"

"Sasuke and I are heading to the Valley of the End for a little… umm, sparring match."

The two ANBU looked at each other, then back at Naruto. "A… sparring match, Lord Hokage?"

"As far as you and everyone else in the village is concerned, yes. Spread the word to the rest of the ANBU and keep everyone away from there because it won't be safe. Also, I need you to tell Tsunade and Kakashi to come get us when we're finished."

"And how will they know when you're finished?"

Naruto glared at the ANBU. "Because things will stop exploding, that's how. And I need one of you to bring a message to my wife."

The ANBU on the right nodded. "What message would you like me to give Lady Hinata?"

"Tell her I won't be home for dinner. Tell her where I went, what I'm doing and that _this_ time, it wasn't my idea. And please…" he said sadly, as he placed a hand on Sasuke's shoulder, "…tell her how sorry I am."

Half a second later, the two of them disappeared in a flash of yellow light.

* * *

Things were quiet for about an hour or so after they left. Nothing seemed strange or out of the ordinary as everyone continued to go about their daily lives. It was an average, run of the mill day in Konoha.

That is, until somewhere off to the north, the sky began to rumble.

It was low at first, like the beginnings of a thunderstorm but as the minutes ticked by it grew louder, darker… _angrier._ Flashes of lightning were added after that, the color varying between shades of white, blue and at times even purple. The bolts grew longer and thicker, traveling farther across the horizon and the rumblings of thunder were now loud claps, akin to small explosions.

Then the lightning stopped, and the sky turned orange and red. Fire was raging off in the distance, and anyone watching who had even the slightest knowledge such things could tell the flames were burning hotter than normal. Plumes of smoke climbed to the sky… black, thick and full of ash and it was a testament to the size and intensity of the blaze that the ash actually reached Konoha, falling over the village like black flakes of snow.

A breeze started, blowing gently through the streets and alleyways, taking the ash that had fallen and making it dance in miniature twisters, dust devils and whirlwinds. The black flakes that were caught in it swirled upwards, higher and higher until they disappeared into the clouds far above Konoha.

In-between all of this, the ground felt like it was shivering in fear. Tremors ran underfoot, not the beginnings of an earthquake but more like aftershocks. They were small, not strong enough to dislodge anything hanging on a wall, but definitely noticeable. Glasses that were placed too close together clinked. Dogs and cats either hid in the shadows or cowered in the corners of buildings and alleyways.

For over three hours, the 'storm' raged on the horizon, flashes of golden yellow and purple intermixed with what seemed like Mother Nature herself throwing a tantrum. For that entire time the ANBU had their hands full, maintaining order and keeping the villagers calm, telling them the Hokage was personally taking care of the 'problem', and there was nothing to worry about.

At least, that's what the ANBU hoped. But as the minutes dragged on, their confidence started to waver because they knew if this battle between two of the strongest, if not THE strongest shinobi in the elemental nations got out of control and made a beeline for Konoha, there was little anyone could do to stop them.

And they weren't the only ones with that belief.

Despite the Hokage's specific instructions, after two hours of watching the sight from atop the north wall, Tsunade Senju and Kakashi Hatake took off towards the Valley of the End. Not a word was spoken between the two as they ran toward the scene of mass destruction, ignoring any potential danger to their lives.

The reasons were very simple.

For Kakashi, it was the past coming back to haunt him. He remembered the last time this happened, when he found his former students broken, bloodied and on the brink of death over ten years ago. He wasn't going to add one more item to the long list of failures in his life, and there was a lot more riding on him now compared to back then.

For Tsunade, it was similar yet different. She remembered when Kakashi and his shadow clone barged into the hospital carrying Naruto and Sasuke. She hadn't seen injuries like that since the Second Shinobi War – if it'd been almost anyone else they'd have been dead long before Kakashi even found them. But she refused to give in to defeat, and for the next twenty four hours straight she worked to save Naruto and Sasuke's lives, mending broken bones, reattaching muscle tissue and patching up various lacerated blood vessels.

They were stronger now. The damage would definitely be worse. Killing each other wasn't a slight possibility, it was a **_strong_** possibility and her deepest fear was that she wouldn't make it in time to save them.

As they got close to ground zero it grew quiet, like the eye of a storm. Both of them wondered if this was just a temporary lull in the battle, but when nothing flared up again after ten minutes they figured Naruto and Sasuke finally reached their limits, and there was nothing left to destroy.

It turned out they were right. 'War zone' didn't even begin to describe what happened in the Valley of the End.

The two statues of Hashirama and Madara had been reduced to rubble – pieces of various sizes and shapes were scattered over the landscape, like a bomb had gone off. The only parts left even remotely identifiable were the ankles and feet.

The cliff behind the statues was more like a steep hill, and the waterfall was now a river… or maybe stream was a more appropriate term as it wandered around and through various boulders and rocks that dotted the slope. Not to be outdone, the lake was now a crater three times bigger than before, although most of the water was gone – the rest was probably evaporated by whatever mass-scale fire jutsu Sasuke used.

For a mile in every direction of the crater, the forest was mowed down. On one side of the crater at random points, pools of lava of various sizes and shapes still bubbled and seethed, glowing red and angry compared to the black and brown dirt surrounding them. Sharp, jagged rocks and walls of earth rose up out of the ground, like spears and shields between the pools of lava and various points of scarred, blackened ground. Charred stumps and trunks of trees stared back at them like lifeless dead soldiers, purposely left on the battlefield as a reminder to anyone who questioned the strength and power of the two shinobi involved. The rest had been completely vaporized and turned to ash – the same ash which no doubt had fallen over Konoha only a few hours ago.

On the other side, the trees hadn't been burned at all, but instead had been blown apart by whatever lightning jutsu Sasuke used, reduced to nothing but slivers of wood and branches no more than three feet long. Fissures of varying length and width zigzagged everywhere. It was almost like the earth had been violently ripped apart by the hands of a giant.

The smell of ozone still lingered in the air. Every breath they took stung their nose and lungs.

"Over there."

Kakashi pointed to the far side of the crater. A body was lying against a particularly large slab of rock.

"Hair is black, not blond. It's gotta be Sasuke." He jerked his head towards the Uchiha. "Let's take a closer look before we go find his partner."

Tsunade nodded. One quick shunshin and they were standing in front of Sasuke. Their skin paled, eyes bulged and jaws fell when they saw the condition he was in.

There was a large bloodstain where his head had struck the rock, streaking down to where his head currently was. Every limb was bent at two or three awkward angles, and bones were sticking out of the skin at each break. Four or five large bruises comprised of different shades of yellow, blue, purple and black pulsed angrily back at them.

"Holy shit…" Tsunade breathed.

Sasuke was covered head to toe in claw marks, plus there was a large gash running diagonally from his left shoulder down across his chest, stopping at his waist… almost as if he'd been mauled by a large tiger, bear or maybe a **_fox_**. The cuts were deep but didn't bleed, like they'd been cauterized with fire – or extremely corrosive chakra. His eyes were closed but tears of dried blood ran down his cheeks, soaking the high collar of his shirt and staining it dark red.

Kakashi listened to his breathing then placed two fingers on his neck, feeling for a pulse. "He's alive. His breathing is shallow, but it doesn't sound like his lungs have collapsed." He pulled out a storage scroll, which turned out to be an advanced medical kit. In addition to the standard items like splints, bandages, antiseptics and painkillers, these included pints of blood for emergency transfusions, several general antidotes for poisons and sterilized surgical tools. "I'll take care of him. You should look around and find your idiot grandson. I've got a hunch he'll need more help than Sasuke does."

Tsunade shot him a scathing look, but didn't argue the point because the odds were definitely in his favor. She reasoned that high ground would be the quickest way to find Naruto, and there was a particularly tall pillar of stone only a few hundred feet from them. She jumped to the top and scanned her surroundings.

_There,_ she thought, narrowing her eyes as she spotted a tuft of blonde hair peeking up from a secluded area about halfway down the slope. She jumped down and ran in the direction she'd spotted him, dashing between, around and oftentimes punching through any of the boulders that stood in her way. In less than a minute, she carved a path to where she spotted Naruto.

Tsunade couldn't stop her lower lip from trembling when she saw the condition he was in. It was only a matter of time before the tears started to fall, though.

Naruto had most of his body submerged in a pool of water about twenty feet wide – only his head, neck and right arm were exposed. He was clutching his hitai-ate in his right hand and with every measured, shallow breath his body shuddered in pain. The water was clear enough to see that he was naked, and that he was using the water to help numb the pain…

…and treat the second and third degree burns that covered most of his body. Patches of angry red skin with edges of charred black were everywhere. Blisters of yellow and white covered the left hand side of his face, and half of his hair and scalp had been burned away.

Naruto opened his eyes when he heard her sob. The right one was his normal sapphire blue, but the left one was milky white. His lips cracked and started bleeding when he smiled at her.

"Hey, Baa-chan."

Tsunade jumped in the waist-deep water and slogged over to him. "Shut up… just shut up…" she sobbed as she pressed her glowing green hands against his chest. "You don't know how lucky you are that I'm here right now."

The smile vanished from his face. "Trust me, I know."

"I can't believe you did this," she said, shaking her head in mock denial. "What's the matter? Decided our fight wasn't good enough for you? Felt like you needed to set a new record for personal injuries and mass destruction?"

Naruto closed his eyes and leaned his head back, resting it against the rocks as her medical jutsu soothed his injuries. "Not really. At least, it didn't start out that way. But once we started flinging forbidden jutsu at each other, things just kind of…"

"Escalated and got out of hand. Yeah. Wonder where I've heard that one before?" Her voice was dripping with sarcasm. "Why isn't Kurama helping to heal you?"

"His chakra is kinda… tapped out at the moment. I used a lot of it when Sasuke started using the Rinnegan." He chuckled halfheartedly before a wracking fit of coughing struck him. Flecks of blood appeared on his lips. "That Rinnegan of his is something else. He's better at using it than Nagato ever was. Being an Uchiha instead of an Uzumaki really makes a difference."

"You think?!" she snapped at him. "What the hell possessed you to start a fight with Sasuke?"

"Actually, it was his idea."

"Then you're both stupid, idiotic morons." At this point, Tsunade wanted to smack him upside his head, but between the blisters and the burns she knew he was in a tremendous amount of pain, and would be for a few days. "You knew this is how it would turn out. Why'd you agree to it in the first place?"

He gave her a withering look, which seemed far worse than usual because of his one bad eye. "That's the pot calling the kettle black, isn't it Baa-chan?"

"Excuse me?"

"You fought me knowing you'd lose, right? But you did it anyway… so why? It's because nothing was off the table. You wanted to help me get past the pain you caused. You'd do anything to make up for what you did." He blinked slowly, and a tear fell out of his right eye and slid down his unmarred cheek. "Yeah, it was stupid, but…that's the same thing I wanted to do for Sasuke. I wanted to help him get past the pain I caused."

The statement alone wasn't much, but it was enough for Tsunade to know he got the report back from the Research Division, and that their worst suspicions had been confirmed. Barring some miracle of survival, Sakura was dead.

"Hey." Tsunade slid one hand up his chest and cupped his cheek lightly, taking extra care with the blisters and burns on his face as she continued her healing jutsu. "Those two things are completely different and you know it. What I did was my fault. What happened to Sakura wasn't your fault. Sometimes bad things just… happen. And sometimes they happen to important people, like family. And friends."

"No…" He shook his head slightly so as not to dislodge Tsunade's hand that was healing his face. "I'm the Hokage. So were you. You know how this works. The responsibility is mine no matter what happens."

He was only half right, but she knew arguing with him about it would be pointless. She'd have a better chance of reasoning with a brick wall since he was too busy wallowing in self-pity, so she decided for the moment to keep quiet instead.

"…and now Sasuke is alone again. It's just like when he was young, and Danzō ordered Itachi to kill his entire clan."

"That's not true Naruto," she said sympathetically. "The scale of those two things is entirely different and you didn't order anyone to kill Sakura. Plus, Sasuke isn't alone. He has lots of people around that can help him get through this. Kakashi, his friends… and he's got you. He thinks of you as his brother – that means a lot."

"You're right. It does," he agreed, "but that's also the problem."

That didn't make any sense to her. "Okay, you lost me there."

"I'm not his brother," he explained, "or at least not his real one anyway. It's a lot like me and _your_ brother, Nawaki. You've said I remind you of him, right?"

"Yes," she said, her voice thick with emotion.

"But even though I remind you of him, I'm **_not_** him." His eyelids drooped tiredly as he smiled at her. "Tell me honestly, Baa-chan – can anyone truly take the place of Nawaki in your heart?"

Tsunade bit her lip painfully; hard enough to draw blood. After everything she'd done, she couldn't answer that question. _She wouldn't._ She'd caused this man and his family enough pain, and she'd vowed months ago never to do something like that again. He was important to her – special to her unlike anyone else in her life, but…

When she remained silent but her lower lip started trembling, Naruto had his answer.

"Hey," he soothed her, "it's okay."

"I-I'm sorry, Naruto," she said as the tears began to fall, "I…"

"Don't apologize. There's nothing wrong with that. I know it doesn't mean you love me any less. You wouldn't have adopted me if you didn't, right?"

"Of course, but…"

"And that's my point. No matter what I do, or how much I try Itachi is his real brother, not me. Sakura… yeah, we both had our history with her but to Sasuke, she was more than just his teammate. She was his wife and the mother of his child. She was the only **real** family he had left."

"And I took that away from him." His own tears started to fall, matching Tsunade's as they dripped into the water. "I didn't see what was right in front of my face, and now Sasuke is alone again because of me."

* * *

A door of iron bars swung open at the end of a dimly lit hallway. The torches provided just enough illumination to see each holding cell, but nothing beyond that. There were ten prison cells, and each one was clouded in shadow.

Footsteps echoed off the cold, hard stone as Sakura walked down the hallway, flanked by two stone-faced chūnin Gideon had 'given' her to act as her personal servants. When they first met they stared lewdly at her body because they thought 'personal servant' also meant being a sex slave whenever the mood hit her.

Fucking idiots quickly learned their place after she beat the shit out of them and castrated them with a rusty hand saw.

Her body was for Sasuke and Sasuke alone. Nobody touched her sexually but him.

**_Nobody._**

The eunuchs stopped halfway down the hall but Sakura continued on, finally stopping in front of the last cell. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and smirked as she stared though the iron bars, into the inky blackness.

"How's the cell?"

A body shuffling against dirt and stone was her only answer, as whoever it was moved around inside.

"I know it's a far cry from what you're used to. To be honest, I've had a change of scenery myself," she said smugly. "I've got a new place here in the village that used to belong to the Kamizuru clan. It has twelve bedrooms, separate quarters for the servants, three kitchens, six baths including a private onsen… There's even a training room with various weapons and specially reinforced walls made of Alexandrite. It takes up the entire peak of one of the mountains around here."

The occupant of the cell obviously didn't care, because they didn't answer.

"What do you think of the new outfit?"

She held her arms out and turned around, showcasing her new clothes. She was wearing a white, sleeveless top with armor plates covering her breasts. Her skirt was black, secured to her waist by a belt made of chain links. Knee high black leather boots with silver buckles and gauntlets with retractable, poison coated blades finished the look.

"Since I have a new life here in Iwa, I thought a new look should go along with it. I've even got a new name…" Sakura grinned maniacally, "…Erinnys. She's the Goddess of Vengeance in one of the lands to the west. I think it fits me because of what I plan on doing to Konoha," she growled lowly, "and to you."

A scraping sound of metal against stone came from inside the cell. Then something flew out and hit Sakura in the face with a wet 'smack'.

"What the fuck?!" she sputtered, clawing the stuff out of her eyes.

"A little gift from me to you," a dry, raspy female voice echoed from the darkness. "Something to go with your new outfit. No need to thank me."

"This is shit… YOU THREW SHIT AT ME!"

"You don't like it?" the prisoner jeered. "And I worked so hard on it, too. But maybe you're right. Throwing shit on something that already looks like shit seems like overkill, now that I think about it."

"Get her out of there," Erinnys commanded the two chūnin that came with her, "and don't be gentle about it. If she bleeds that's fine, but don't break anything. I'm saving that for later."

They inclined their heads like the obedient servants they were, unlocking the door and roughly throwing it open before quickly moving inside. She could tell they were fighting from the sound of things but also that the prisoner was definitely taking the worst of it.

After a minute the chūnin dragged the woman out by her arms. One of them grabbed her hair and jerked her head back, making the prisoner hiss in pain. Now that her face was exposed to the torchlight, everyone could plainly see her left eye was red and beginning to swell, but the right eye could see just fine…

A pair of forest green eyes stared vengefully into emerald green eyes. Clean, brushed pink hair contrasted gnarled, dirty pink strands. Tanned skin and muscles overshadowed pale, dry, filthy skin on a malnourished body. A burlap dress and belt made of rope didn't compare in the slightest to the new, dramatic and decidedly darker outfit her counterpart wore.

The average person on the street would think the women were twin sisters, or at the very least related in some way. There were five people in the village who knew the truth, though. They weren't twins, or even sisters…

"You have no idea how grateful I am to Gideon." Erinnys' voice practically dripped with malice.

…more like mirror images of one another…

"Using the Nidaime Tsuchikage's Fission technique to split us up was absolutely brilliant."

…or more specifically an **_inner_** and an **_outer_** mirror image.

"I may have been forced to split my chakra and strength with you, but it's a small price to pay for my freedom." Erinnys roughly grabbed Sakura's chin and smeared a glob of the shit she'd thrown over her face.

"I told you once that if I ever got out, you and everyone in Konoha would rue the day that I did."

Sakura tried to spit at her, but her throat was too dry. "And I told you more than once to go fuck yourself."

"Oh, we're going to have a lot of fun, you and I…" Erinnys cackled, showing just a hint of madness, "you're like a shiny new toy I'm going to enjoy breaking bit by bit, inch by inch. I get to torture you whenever I'm feeling bored, or frustrated… basically whenever the mood strikes me. And I'll make sure you're good and healed after every session – we don't want you dying prematurely now, do we?"

"I should have lobotomized your sorry ass when I had the chance," Sakura growled.

"Like that ever would have worked." Erinnys snorted dismissively. "Get her to the torture room," she instructed the two chūnin holding Sakura, jerking her head toward the door at the end of the hall.

"I think I'll start by flaying the skin from her toes."

* * *

A/N: And that's all, folks!

I hope I threw you guys a curve ball with that ending. Last chapter I teased the word "Nidaime" on the scroll, and a lot of you thought it dealt with Tobirama but you forgot that THEY'RE IN IWA. I originally thought about having Inner and Outer Sakura just swap places, but **MattWilson83** told me to use the second Tsuchikage's Fission jutsu and split them up into two bodies.

_Fantastic fucking idea. And everyone fell for it._

So, yeah. This will be the last we hear about or from Sakura for awhile. Hinata needs to re-enter the picture in a big way and keep Naruto sane and centered, so I'll focus on that. And there's a few other plot points to focus in on, so things will move forward a bit faster in the next couple of chapters.

Stuff like what, you might ask? Well, there's babies to be born. What's the significance of capturing Karin? What's the idea Erinnys has to take down Konoha? Will Shizune ever recover? There's more, but I won't list them here. I'd rather see your questions in the reviews you leave.

**_Recommendation time!_** I made a couple of promises for this chapter, and since it's been such a long time I'm pushing out two of them.

The first is called **A Whirlpool Full of Sunshine by Petran.** It's a collection of short pieces of literature (much like Sparks by Tenneyshoes), but the author has a lot of other great stories. He's a really good writer and I'm pretty positive you'll like his stuff.

The second is **Master of Jiongu by The Dark Dragon Emperor.** Hiruzen uses the same kinjutsu Kakuzu used on his own body to save Naruto's life after he gets fatally injured. It also helps him forge unlikely friendships and an earlier, encouraged and approved relationship with Hinata. Great story, constantly updated and the writing is top notch. It's already got a ton of followers and favorites, which means it doesn't necessarily need my endorsement but if you don't know about it, give it a look.

**REVIEWS!** Okay, I have to be honest and say that for the first time since starting this story, I don't know how many reviews I got for the last chapter. But for everyone that left one, I really am thankful. My story has great numbers because of everyone who reads it.

I hope to see more of that. As I always say the reviews are a big motivator so please, help keep my creative juices flowing and leave me one. Even if it's just something as simple as 'I loved it', I'd really appreciate the effort.

That's all for now. Take care and stay safe.

Serious Sam


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